Pres. Ali sidesteps question on Christmas cash grant

Nov 28, 2025 News

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…now promising broader suite of benefits for Guyanese

(Kaieteur News) – Amid growing anticipation for the Christmas cash grant promised during the recent elections, President Irfaan Ali on Thursday appeared to sidestep the issue, emphasising that his administration plans to roll out a suite of initiatives aimed at improving the lives of Guyanese beyond a one-off handout.

Answering a reporter’s question on the cash grant, which citizens had hoped would assist with holiday expenses, President Ali stressed that the government’s focus is on long-term development and prosperity. He said government will shortly roll out several significant initiatives that will better the lives of citizens. “Our government always delivers,” when asked for an update on a commitment to distribute a cash grant to Guyanese in time for Christmas. In fact, President Ali said there will be a suite of initiatives that will be announced in the coming days.

“And whilst you may restrict your thoughts to just a cash bonus, this government has a very elaborate agenda for the upliftment of your life—for the improvement of your life, for building prosperity for you, for building prosperity for your community, for empowering you, for giving you the opportunity to live a life in which you have access to the best health care, best education, home ownership, reduced interest rates, access to low-interest business development loans and grants with no collateral, access to textbooks, expanded school feeding programmes, expanded infrastructure, community infrastructure, building out facilities to support women’s health, (and)… cancer treatment detection|,” the president confidently stated. President Ali appeared unfazed in his conviction that Guyanese will benefit not only from development but also from additional investments that will drive their overall economic growth. “So, it’s beyond — beyond. Don’t narrow your thinking. Don’t narrow your approach to life to just one facet of what the government will deliver. There are many facets of what your government will deliver to you…” the president insisted.

Back in October when he was asked for an update on the cash grant distribution Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said that whatever President Ali promised he will deliver.  At his first press conference since the People’s Progressive Party (PPPC) was re-elected to office, Jagdeo sought to assure reporters that “Whatever the President said on the campaign trail will be done.” Jagdeo declined to state whether the cash grants will be distributed in time for Christmas only stating that his party makes good on all its promises.

Back in October as well Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat said that giving citizens cash transfers from oil funds is a failed model, and if the government focuses on this Guyana will end up poorer than it started. “It’s a failed model. It’s a model that does not work in any part of the world. Now let’s look at a few countries. Let’s look at the US. Many of these people who have called for cash transfer, most some of them live in the US.” He explained that a lot of these persons live in the United States, and he would like them to tell him if cash transfers are offered to citizens in the US, even though it is one of the most powerful countries on earth. “The US produces probably the most oil in the world among oil producing countries. I’ve never heard of any cash transfer in the US, Qatar. I’ve never heard of any cash transfer in Qatar, the UAE, which is Dubai…I’ve never heard of any cash transfer given. Look at Ghana, look at Angola, and those African countries that produce oil,” he said. “Who will go to school after that? Because if I’m a student and I’m a Guyanese, I would say I’m collecting our money. Why should I go to school? Why should I study? Why should I get degree? Why should I go work? Because I’m collecting this money. So, it’s the culture, is the culture that we create, or the culture behind that,” the minister reasoned.

Minister Bharrat explained that it will not be an incentive and it will be short-lived, resulting in the country being in a worst state than when it started producing oil. “Oil and Gas will end at some point in time, and that is why we have used the revenue from oil and gas sector to continue building out forestry, mining, manufacturing, ecotourism, construction and the new sectors that are emerging now, agriculture expanding because we know we have to prepare for after-oil, like Dubai did, and we have seen their success. So, these are resources that don’t last forever,” the minister reminded.

“We will end up poorer than where we start from. It simply means that we will end up with a country with people who are not educated because they didn’t see the need to go to school and for their education and to study and to build a professional career, because they’re receiving these cash transfers, and the people who have not invested in businesses and who are not working, and we will simply have a country where expats and foreigners will dominate, obviously, because our locals are just sitting back and waiting on their cash transfer at the end of the month,” Bharrat stressed. Notwithstanding, the minister clarified that the government does intend to provide cash transfers, but emphasised that, as President Irfaan Ali has stated, this is not the only way the administration plans to spend oil revenues.

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• cash grant, Christmas, Irfaan Ali, one-off handout, suite

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