Discussions ongoing with private universities to provide services at rate Govt. is paying UG – Pres. Ali

Jul 17, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News – On Wednesday, President Irfaan Ali announced that the government is currently in discussions with several private universities for them to provide services at the same rate the University of Guyana is being paid under the free tertiary education programme.

During consultations for the manifesto of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) spanning the next five years which was held at the Ramada Princess Hotel, President Ali said that several universities have reached out expressing their interest in being a part of the programme.

“So, one of the things that we have seen with the free university education now is that we have more than 20,000 applications, I was told at the University of Guyana. So, we are discussing at the moment how we use the same rates at the University of Guyana that we are financing in the private universities,” President Ali said.

He mentioned that the universities expressing interest are in the United Kingdom and other places. The Head-of-State assured the audience that government “will be consulting with those providers to see, how we can include them in the free education programme up to that value, because today, more of our young people with opportunity at hand want to be doctors, pharmacists, medical technologists, so we don’t want to deny them that opportunity. So. we’re going to maximize all the available institutions and opportunities within our country.”

He went on to say that the administration is looking to take the medical university to different regions, therefore making medical education more accessible. “These are things that we’re going to invest in Region six. For example, we have a teaching hospital that will be constructed at New Amsterdam. We have the Guyana digital school that is being created to have equal access and bridge the divide across our country,” the president explained.

Speaking on the education system, the president highlighted that Guyana has a very modern one which deals not only with accessibility but also equity in terms of delivery, having 100% trained teachers, subsequently moving to train graduate teachers and in each category added incentives. “So, our education system will see continued investment, because we want Guyana to be a hub of educational services so that we can order revenue through that type of educational services,” he said.

Government from January this year removed tuition fees from the University of Guyana. The decision was in keeping with the administration’s 2020 manifesto pledge. Government has already begun to write-off debts by Guyanese who had studied at the university through the Ministry of Finance-issued loans.

Meanwhile, President Ali described his government’s future development framework as a pathway to prosperity, anchored by the landmark Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, which the PPPC Administration has turned into a national development plan. He said the coming five years are very crucial for the next phase of Guyana’s development. “These are the years that will lay the bedrock, the foundation through which the development will take place, creating a united and prosperous Guyana.”

President Ali said the vision for Guyana’s future is about creating a society where everyone has the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the country’s economic and social progress. “It’s about economic, financial, and technological inclusion. Inclusion that will see every segment of the Guyanese population participating in investment opportunities, creating a social framework that includes all of our people, moving towards the equality of life.”

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told participants that their suggestions would be taken seriously. He mentioned that the initiatives in the manifesto are aimed at addressing the concerns of Guyanese. Earlier this year, the PPP launched a new initiative where persons were invited to submit ideas and recommendations that would be considered for inclusion in its 2025-2030 manifesto. That process saw some 2,000 persons filing more than 5,000 submissions. “We know what the people’s issues are, and those commitments you see there are reflective of the concerns that we have encountered on the ground,” Vice President Jagdeo said. He emphasised that all of the policies outlined in the manifesto are long-term and are designed to create long-lasting wealth for Guyanese through targeted policies and incentives.

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• Irfaan Ali, Manifesto, People's Progressive Party, University of Guyana

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