Latest update September 27th, 2026 10:25 AM
Assistance to NCN to be announced during budget presentation -Trotman
A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) on Wednesday last confirmed that steps are being taken to provide financial assistance to the National Communications Network (NCN), with allocations expected to be announced during the budget presentation on Monday.
This comes even as the state agency is still owed sums by the current political opposition, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). The Party, however, has consistently refused to provide clarity on when their debts will be cleared.
The sum owed is reported to have been accumulated by the PPP/C when it was in administration. The Party is said to have used extensive coverage from the state media entity, even at the exclusion of the then opposition APNU+AFC, during the recently concluded General and Regional elections.
Giving an update on the financial status of NCN and the Government’s policy towards the media house, was Minister of Governance and Natural Resources Raphael Trotman at a post cabinet briefing. During the briefing, Trotman made the distinction that Governmental assistance to NCN would not be a cash bailout, but rather bridging the financial gap.
Trotman also stated that the Prime Minister’s office, which is in charge of the Information portfolio, had instructed state agencies such as NCN to give a breakdown of outstanding balances, in order to facilitate the allocations.
This help, according to Trotman, is expected to be announced during Monday’s budget presentation. The Minister also indicated that contrary to reports, the money is not likely to be used to pay salaries. He also gave assurances that the financing will be nowhere near that allocated to Guyana Sugar Corporation.
With a $17B shortfall expected from the sugar industry, the APNU+AFC administration plugged some $3.8B into the sugar corporation in June.
Trotman also indicated that, in light of the agency’s longstanding monopolistic position, facilitated by the equipment in its possession and its countrywide range, NCN should in fact have been in a stronger financial position. Thus, he expressed disappointment in the agency’s cash-strapped position.
Meanwhile the PPP/C, which has faced much blame for the agency’s current predicament is still remaining tightlipped on when they will clear their bills to the state media agency and exactly how much is still owed.
When asked during the PPP/C’s previous press conference on Monday whether the party had paid its bill, General Secretary Clement Rohee had refused to divulge any information about its debts, stating “that’s a private matter, I wouldn’t reveal that.”
NCN has made demands that the PPP/C pay some $13.5M owed for advertisements, which dominated the network during the campaign season. Though the party has repeatedly promised to pay its debts, it has always left the question of how much or when, as a grey area.
Neither is NCN the only agency the PPP/C has been embroiled with for allegedly not honouring its debts. Back in May, the party became implicated in controversy surrounding payments for several billboards sourced and designed by local company, Impressions Inc.
The billboards were originally designed for Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), but were converted into elections paraphernalia with A “Vote PPP/C” logo, as well as other campaign slogans placed on the billboards. When, however, the bills for work done were sent to GWI, the corporation refused to honour them.
The misuse of state media has been a sore point for the APNU+AFC and upon assumption of office, the administration has made it clear that NCN, the Government Information Agency (GINA) and the Guyana Chronicle – all state-owned entities – will be cleaned up. This, they had said, was in light of widespread abuses of resources and the mismanagement of the corporations.
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