‘Budget has numbers, but lacks priorities’ – APNU’s Rupnarain

Feb 05, 2026 News

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…says plan fails to address domestic, foreign policies

(Kaieteur News) – Member of Parliament (MP) of the A Partnership of National Unity (APNU), Riaz Rupnarain on Tuesday slammed the $1.558 trillion 2026 National Budget as a budget with the numbers that lacks the priorities of addressing domestic and foreign policy issues.

The opposition MP was making his contribution on the second day of the 2026 Budget Debates in the National Assembly at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Hailing from Pomeroon River, Region Two, Rupnarain in his presentation noted that the $1.558 trillion budget is the largest in the nation’s history, but unfortunately, much of it is heavily weighted in infrastructure with far less attention to poverty reduction, reducing the cost of living, improving the lives of working class and vulnerable groups.

“Mr. Speaker, let me be pellucid. The budget will be spent on the people. It is a Guyanese budget. It is the largest in our history. So, then monies will be ejected into the economy. But my argument lies in who will be reaping the majority of the benefit,” he asked.

Rupnarain argued that the budget is not about aggregate figures, but about the impact it will directly have on individuals and their families.

He said the government MP’s presentations so far indicate that the budget is best for all groups of people. “But coincidentally, when everyone approached the podium, they kept repeating a few pension benefits, a few social benefits, repeatedly like a broken record,” noting that it is the same programme that has received additional funding.

“Mr. Speaker, the increase in the income tax threshold removes just over 5,000 persons from the tax register. Five thousand persons out of the national labour force, which requires more than over 90 per cent still remain on that taxation system. Now, this translates to $2,500, not even a fraction of what the cost of living is in particular areas. And I have heard especially this morning, that government members of parliament admitting that they are aware of the cost of certain commodities in far-flung areas, and yet to intentionally sit and still plan the budget without catering for that is a temerity to be callous,” he argued.

Once again, calling out the government for saying that the budget benefits everybody, he noted that “the budget has the numbers, but it lacks the priorities.”

Backing his arguments further, he noted that while the $10,000 increase for 10-day workers is a step forward, it reflects a short-term response to a long-standing structural issue. He stated that many of these workers have given years of service under the 10-day programme, but yet they remain without pension security or consistent NIS payment that will allow them to have access to broader social protection at present and beyond retirement. “A stipend does not address the long-term problem,” he added.

According to the APNU member, development must mean more than concrete and contracts. It must mean that all citizens can afford the basic necessities, he stated.

Rupnarain noted further that this budget not only fails to address domestic issues, but foreign policy issues as well.

On matters of foreign relations, sovereignty, and national security, the MP declared that there is no government nor opposition of Guyana, there is only Guyana.

“Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs allocates an increase of 10% in the 2026 budget for Programme 121. This is a crucial aspect, primarily as the ministry aims to develop foreign policy to target the Guyana-Venezuela territorial controversy in particular. I anticipate at the speech of the honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs a foreign policy framework will be given after a six-year cycle on Guyana’s strategic priorities, the obligations that we have under bilateral and multilateral agreement, and our social security implications of those agreements that we have signed thus far,” he disclosed.

He said this becomes necessary because of the plethora of international events that have occurred over the past months, primarily with the absence of a parliamentary sectoral committee on foreign relations.

Notably, he said that in Programme 121, the third strategy identifies education and awareness of the territorial controversy of the Guyana-Venezuela territorial controversy.

“But how is this effectively being done? What are the indicators? Are the target groups, how is it being implemented, especially for areas like the Pomeroon River, Bartica, Lethem and other border communities? In 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs indicates that training will resume after a hiatus, apparently because of the pandemic as well. Mr. Speaker, awareness cannot be an abstract line item,” he argued.

According to the MP, citizens deserve explanation, reassurance, and inclusion, not silence. He noted also that there is nothing in the budget to incentivize the country’s border communities and bring calm to reassure them.

“Our border communities must be treated as an important part of foreign policy,” he maintained.

Additionally, the MP called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to ensure that all students are taught history and are intellectually ready to protect the country’s sovereignty “when they hold these offices that we presently occupy.”

Noting that the opposition is deeply concerned about the perception of Guyana’s foreign policy becoming more reactive and less proactive, Rupnarain stated that it is paramount that both ministries ensure that the Guyana-Venezuela territorial controversy is added to those syllabi.

“This will ensure that not only the Guyanese students, but the Caribbean students are aware of the right we have to Essequibo,” he related.

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• APNU, National Budget, Parliament, priorities, Riaz Rupnarain

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