Uncle Ramesh Sees It Differently

Thursday, April 9, 2026

A pro-government perspective on the week’s events, brought to you by a man who has never once questioned a press release.

THE CASH GRANT APP IS WORKING FINE (FOR SOME DEFINITION OF FINE)

Look, 150,000 people have received or are in the process of receiving their $100,000 cash grant. That is a lot of people. Finance Minister Ashni Singh announced this himself, on Facebook, at night, which is the sign of a man who is dedicated. Yes, some people say the app is slow. Some people say the facial recognition rejected their fifteen-year-old ID photo. But Uncle Ramesh asks: have you considered that the app is simply very thorough? The government has promised the portal will remain open. Help desks are being established. Cheques are being printed for Region Nine residents who don’t have bank accounts. This is a comprehensive rollout. The people who are complaining have simply never been responsible for distributing money to a nation before and therefore lack perspective.

THE AMERICAN BANKER CAME AND IT WAS A GREAT VISIT

U.S. Export-Import Bank Chairman John Jovanovic arrived in Guyana on Wednesday for meetings with President Ali and the American Chamber of Commerce. EXIM has committed US$527 million to the gas-to-energy project — the largest infrastructure investment in Guyana’s history — which will double electricity capacity and reduce household power bills by 50 percent when completed. The project is progressing. Lindsayca Inc. is advancing construction across all components. The visit demonstrates America’s continued confidence in Guyana’s leadership, economy, and trajectory. It is a vote of confidence. Uncle Ramesh is gratified. The papers may prefer to focus on other aspects of the story. Uncle Ramesh prefers to focus on the 300 megawatts of clean energy coming down the pipeline.

SURINAME: THE GOVERNMENT IS ON IT

President Ali has made clear that the Corentyne River fee dispute with Suriname is a top priority for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said himself: “every day you’re engaged on it.” The government has lodged a formal protest. The President has spoken publicly and firmly. The Private Sector Commission and the chambers of commerce have raised concerns, and the government has listened. Guyanese businesses in the Upper Corentyne are facing real pressure from fees as high as US$2,500 per trip — Uncle Ramesh will not pretend otherwise — but the correct response is principled diplomatic engagement, and that is exactly what the Ali administration is pursuing. The Suriname issue will be resolved. The Corentyne River Bridge discussions will resume when the time is right. This is what mature, strategic governance looks like.

GUYANA PULLS IN US$761 MILLION IN Q1 OIL REVENUE

The numbers speak for themselves. Guyana earned US$761 million in oil revenue in just the first quarter of 2026. This is a nation that not a decade ago was budgeting at the margins. Today it is distributing $100,000 to every adult citizen, building gas plants, commissioning border patrol units, and receiving visits from senior American banking officials. Uncle Ramesh would like to point out that this trajectory is the direct result of the PPP administration’s governance and economic management. Those who say otherwise are welcome to revisit the trajectory of the previous decade.

CARIFTA: A RECORD PERFORMANCE FOR GUYANA

Guyana’s athletes returned from the 53rd CARIFTA Games in Grenada with a record-high medal haul, including four gold medals. NSC officials received the team with pride and said they expected great things from this generation of athletes. The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has also been running sports programmes in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. These investments are producing results. Uncle Ramesh watched from home and was proud.

DRIVER LICENSING IRREGULARITIES WILL BE ADDRESSED

President Ali announced this week that a list of persons linked to irregularities in the driver’s licensing system will be made public. This is transparency. This is accountability. The government is not hiding the problem — it is naming it, investigating it, and publishing the findings. Some administrations would have quietly resolved the matter in a back room. This one is putting the names on a list and letting the public see. Uncle Ramesh approves of lists.

ONLINE PASSPORTS ARE COMING

The government has announced that an online passport application system will be available within the next month. This is part of a broader digital transformation that the Ali administration has been rolling out across public services. The cash grant portal. The digital ID. Now the passport system. The infrastructure is being built. Guyanese will, in due time, be able to manage their documentation without standing in a line. Uncle Ramesh considers this a positive development and encourages patience.

Uncle Ramesh reads four newspapers every morning and skips the crime pages. His views are his own.