APNU MP Juretha Fernandes has challenged Guyanese to keep abreast with the developments in parliament, especially as it relates to the massive financial paper submitted by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) at the last sitting of the National Assembly on June 5.
Fernandes was referring to the “very short breakdown” that the PPP provided in asking for $54.9 billion more to advance projects just four months after passing a $1.558 trillion national budget. Large sums are being sought for the sprawling gas to energy project and the troubled sugar industry.
“Guyanese, I challenge you to look at the works put out by the PPP,” Fernandes stated in a video outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre after the 4th Sitting of the Thirteenth Parliament was convened – 112 days after the previous sitting on February 14. “We will be asking questions on these financial papers. I encourage you to tune in, listen to the responses that’s given by the minister; they seldom want to answer these questions that we ask but we will be pushing forward…”, Fernandes urged.
She observed that the government going back to the National Assembly for more funds at such a short space of time questions their competence and efficiency in managing the country’s resources and indicates the level of corruption within the agencies requesting more money.
Meanwhile, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party also criticised the move stating on its Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, “A $1.558 trillion budget wasn’t enough. The PPP government is seeking another $54.8 billion from our coffers. Where is the money going? To me, this is reckless spending and corruption.”
In a statement, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) expressed concern over the request. “How can a government that boasts of having unlimited oil revenues fail so spectacularly in forecasting and managing its expenditures?” the party questioned, accusing the PPP/C administration of making supplementary budgets a practice instead of leaving it for exceptional circumstances. “What should be an extraordinary measure reserved for unforeseen circumstances has become an annual feature of government spending,” the party said.
APNU continued that what is particularly troubling is that this trend has become institutionalised. “Every year, Guyanese witness the same cycle: a massive budget is presented with much fanfare, only for the government to return to Parliament months later seeking tens of billions more. This has become the new normal under the PPP/C.”
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, presented Supplementary Financial Paper Number 1 of 2026 on June 5th seeking approval for $17.5 billion for the housing sector to cater for an “accelerated work programme.” “In the PPP/C’s 2026 Manifesto, the party outlined its plan for affordable homes and stronger communities through measures such as expanding its housing programme, the construction of 40,000 new homes, working to ensure it eliminates the backlog of applications in all regions and fast-tracking all pending housing applications. To facilitate this, in Budget 2026 $159.1 billion was allocated to the sector,” a statement from the Ministry of Finance said.
The National Assembly is also being requested to consider a supplementary provision of $19.1 billion under the Office of the Prime Minister to cater for additional resources including toward government’s Gas-to-Energy Project which is expected to reduce electricity cost to citizens by half when it comes on stream. In addition, $8.5 billion is being sought under the Ministry of Public Works including $6 billion that caters for miscellaneous roads and drainage and $2.5 billion for hinterland roads as government continues to improve connectivity across all regions of the country.
Additionally, $8.3 billion is being requested for consideration under the Ministry of Agriculture, including $807.5 million for the Guyana Rice Development Board, $3 billion for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) and $4.5 billion for the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to support the agriculture sector.
Under the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, a further $600 million is being requested for the provision of additional resources to facilitate maintenance of coastal airstrips and $496.3 million to support water interventions including water filling stations. Under the Ministry of Home Affairs, an additional $60 million is being requested to facilitate its accelerated work programme for the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU).
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