Latest update April 7th, 2026 12:30 AM
APNU promises to relieve citizens of utility bills, housing, transportation costs
APNU prime ministerial candidate, Juretha Fernandes during public meeting held in Bartica
Kaieteur News – The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) held a public meeting on Saturday in Bartica, Region Seven, where the coalition’s prime ministerial candidate, Juretha Fernandes, unveiled several major promises should the party form the next government after the September 1, 2025 general and regional elections.
Fernandes pledged significant relief for citizens through substantial reductions in electricity and water bills. She told supporters that an APNU government would subsidise utility tariffs to low levels while ensuring reliable access to these essential services. “Come the second of September, if your light bill is $11,000, you only have to pay $1,000 because we will be catering for the $10,000. Come the second of September, if your water bill is $6,000, you only got to pay $1,000 because we will be catering for $6,000,”Fernandes stated, emphasising the coalition’s commitment to easing the financial burden on households.
In addition to utilities, Fernandes highlighted key proposals to improve education and healthcare services in Bartica. She announced a GUY$120,000 annual allowance for each child, distributed annually, to support parents without the hassle of putting parents “to stand in long lines in the sun.” “We are going to give it to you in a dignified manner,” she said. Criticising the quality of education in the region, she said, “we have parents here that are not wealthy that take their children out of the schools here and send them to Georgetown because they want them to get a decent education. That is unacceptable. You should not have to send your children away. We have enough resources.”
Additionally, Fernandes promised to raise the income tax threshold from GY$130,000 to GY$400,000, implement a 35 per cent salary increase for government employees, and increase the monthly old-age pension from GY$41,000 to GY$100,000. “You have worked hard, and you deserve nothing less,” she told the crowd.
In terms of housing, Fernandes outlined a series of measures including rent-to-own schemes, housing maintenance grants, and rental allowances for professionals relocating for work. These initiatives, she said, are aimed at improving access to decent and affordable living conditions for all.
Recognising transportation challenges faced by miners, particularly in her home community, Fernandes announced that an APNU-led administration would reduce the tax on four-door pickups to 15 per cent. “We understand your struggles and we know transportation is a big one and a four-door pickup should not be a luxury vehicle. You should not be getting tax on it as though it is not something used by miners for them to go into the interior to do the hard work so we will be remedying that,” she said.”
Small business development also took center stage in Fernandes speech. She promised that APNU will be committed to establishing a development bank to support small business owners, including boat owners and fishermen. “We are going to be ensuring that the boat owners are taken care of because they are small business owners and we are going to be putting a development bank that will be benefiting all small businesses,” she said.
“We want to make sure that we take care of everybody of all ages, from each class, from all walks of life, from all ethnicity. We will make sure that all of you are taken care of…We have heard your cry and we have designed policies that we will deliver to you,” she added.
Other APNU candidates also addressed the gathering, including both familiar and new faces such as Sherod Duncan and Ricky Ramsaroop, all echoing the coalition’s promises of change for the Guyanese people under the APNU.
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- APNU, Elections campaign, Guyana Elections, housing, Juretha Fernandes, transportation, utility bills
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