☀️ Good Morning, Guyana!
Rise and shine! If you still hungover from Budget Day, don’t worry — the government already spending the money before you wake up properly. Today we dissecting Dr. Ashni Singh’s marathon presentation like a frog in a biology class. Grab your coffee strong — you going need it.
📰 TOP STORY: Budget 2026 — $1.588 Trillion of Optimism
The numbers are in, and they BIG: $1.588 trillion. That’s a 15% increase from last year, because apparently the economy growing at 14.3% and nobody told your salary.
The Headlines:
- $159.1 billion for housing — because 15,000 new house lots and 8,000 homes ain’t building themselves
- $745 million for agro-processing facilities in Parika and Lethem
- $316.5 million for special needs initiatives — including Guyana’s FIRST school for autistic children
- Corporate tax REMOVED for agriculture and agro-processing businesses
- VAT removed on locally made furniture and jewellery
Dr. Singh: “Budget 2026 is positioned with the people at the centre.”
Translation: “We spending money. A LOT of money. Please vote for us in 2030.”
🏠 HOUSING: 15,000 Lots, 8,000 Homes, Infinite Dreams
The housing programme getting a $159.1 billion injection. The government plans to:
- Distribute 15,000 new house lots
- Build 8,000 homes
- Continue reducing the backlog outside Region Four
Dr. Singh: “Our investments in housing are not just about providing shelter, but about creating safe, thriving communities where citizens can live with dignity, stability, and pride.”
Reality Check: Lot distribution faster than actual house construction. But at least you can camp on your land and look at the stars while you wait for building materials prices to drop.
🌴 TOURISM: 453,489 Visitors and Counting
Guyana welcomed a RECORD 453,489 visitors in 2025. The government now planning to:
- Complete the new Hospitality and Tourism Institute (training 700+ people)
- Add 56 communities to tourism circuits
- Expand “experiential and community-based” tourism
- Target diaspora for conferences, weddings, and reunions
Also announced: Air Transat now flying twice weekly to Toronto with 796 additional seats per week.
The vision: Sustainable, diversified, people-centred tourism.
The reality: More hotels than we have airport capacity. But who’s counting?
🌾 AGRICULTURE: The Agro-Processing Push
The government allocating $745 million to continue the agro-processing expansion:
- New facilities planned for Parika and Lethem
- Regional Food Hub at Yarrowkabra expected to complete this year
- 373 agro-processors already trained in packaging, labelling, and product presentation
- 25 Guyana Shop corners launched (one even in Barbados!)
15 agro-processing and 10 cold storage facilities already established nationwide.
The goal: Reduce post-harvest losses, boost exports, create rural jobs.
Translation: Mango season about to hit different.
🏛️ BUSINESS REACTION: GCCI Says “Thank You”
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) is PLEASED. They praised:
- Removal of corporate tax on agriculture/agro-processing
- Export allowance expansion to include timber
- VAT removal on local furniture and jewellery
- US$100 million for a zero-interest development bank
GCCI: “A transformational effect on Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises.”
Translation: The private sector happy. The opposition… not consulted.
🎓 SPECIAL NEEDS: Historic Investment
One of the budget highlights: $316.5 million for special needs education and disability services.
This includes Guyana’s FIRST school for autistic students — to be built at the Cyril Potter College of Education campus.
President Ali: The measures are designed “to ensure greatest impact on people.”
This is genuinely good news. No jokes here. Well done.
📊 THE NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
| Budget Item | Amount | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Total Budget | $1.588 trillion | 15% increase |
| Housing | $159.1 billion | 15,000 lots, 8,000 homes |
| Agro-processing | $745 million | Parika, Lethem facilities |
| Special Needs | $316.5 million | First autism school |
| Economic Growth (2025) | 14.3% | Oil doing the heavy lifting |
| Tourist Arrivals (2025) | 453,489 | Record breaking |
🗣️ OPPOSITION CORNER: Still Waiting for Consultation
Remember how the government consulted the Private Sector Commission, GCCI, and every business group before the budget?
The opposition? Not so much.
APNU Leader Aubrey Norton (from two weeks ago): “The government doesn’t engage, because in their opinion, they will look as though they are taking ideas from us.”
MP Sharma Solomon: Claims 58% poverty rate.
Norton’s prediction: “I expect the same old budget.”
Result: Same old budget. But bigger.
🎯 ECONOMIST TAKE: “People Sensitive, Very Unique”
Economist Richard Rambarran broke down the budget:
- 31 measures directly impacting people’s lives
- 14.3% growth is “a number to certainly hold on to”
- Budget grew from $1.38 trillion to $1.588 trillion
Private Sector Commission’s Dr. Komal Singh: “Very unique budget… you can visualize where we will be in the next five years.”
☁️ FORECAST
Tomorrow: More budget analysis. Opposition still searching for the door to the National Assembly. The $100,000 cash grant quietly becoming Guyanese folklore.
The Guyana Daily Brief: All the news that’s fit to satirize.
Critical analysis of Guyana’s political landscape. For a pro-government perspective, see Uncle Ramesh’s take.