Latest update March 13th, 2026 12:35 AM
Govt. quietly pulls $18.8B from Contingency Fund
— Opposition blasts “abuse of power” as election-year spending balloons to $1.458T
By Davina Bagot
(Kaieteur News) – Just days after the 13th Parliament was convened on November 3, 2025, the Government of Guyana (GoG) quietly withdrew a staggering $18.8 billion from the Contingency Fund to finance additional infrastructure, education, housing and other projects.
Opposition Members of Parliament were left blindsided on Monday when Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh tabled Financial Paper Number Two of 2025, covering the period November 18 to December 16, 2025.
Notably, earlier in 2025, the GoG had sought an additional $57.5B to support the $1.382 trillion Budget. This means that government increased its spending power in the election year to a massive $1,458,313,838,911. The legislation provides for advances to be made from the Contingency Fund to meet urgent, unforeseen, and unbudgeted expenses.
According to Financial Paper Number Two, seen by this newspaper, the government made two advances totaling $18,821,223,636 with $7.4B for current and $11.4B for capital expenditure.
Cabinet Members
The advances, according to government were made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for buildings- to facilitate an expanded work programme; the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security for old age pensions and social assistance, while the Ministry of Public Works also dipped into the treasury to fund Hinterland and miscellaneous roads, government buildings, the East Coast Demerara Road improvement project and sea and river defence works, to name a few.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education, as well as the Ministry of Housing and Water also sought more funds to support its “expanded work programme”.
Advances were also made for the various Regions which were used for fuel and lubriants, national and other events, dietary, transport and other needs.
The 2025 Budget was approved and passed by the National Assembly on February 6, 2025. Mere months later, on May 23, the Committee of Supply approved $57.5 billion more to support four state agencies.
In an invited comment, shortly after the document was laid in the House, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP), Juretha Fernandes told Kaieteur News that government’s refusal to call a Sitting while withdrawing public funds signals severe abuse of power and a direct attack on democratic accountability.
She argued, “While contingency funds exist for urgent, unforeseen needs, their use is not a license to bypass Parliament indefinitely. By deploying this mechanism for this period, and for such a colossal sum, the government has distorted an emergency provision into a routine tool for avoiding scrutiny.”
Furthermore, the Opposition MP noted that such action dangerously weakens democracy, nullifying the legislature’s fundamental role in overseeing public spending. She pointed out that it erodes public trust and creates a veil for potential mismanagement. “Governing without consent, even under the guise of contingency, undermines the very institutions that ensure power is exercised responsibly. Such conduct must be met with condemnation from everyone who wishes to uphold democracy,” Fernandes urged.
The House will meet over the next few weeks to scrutinize the advances made by the government.
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