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Guyanese protest ‘anti-poor’ budget, flag multimillion allocation to “dormant” Commission of Information
(Kaieteur News) – A group of Guyanese on Friday protested against the allocation of resources in this year’s budget, a plan which they believe will not ease the struggles of ordinary Guyanese, while resources are funneled to those ‘cozy’ with the governing party.
“I am out here because I am a poor person and this budget is not poor people friendly. I am angry that a former judge could be receiving $40 million a year for work that we don’t even see,” said Wintress Whyte, a member of the women-based NGO, Red Thread.
She was referring to the provision made in the 2026 Budget for the Office of the Commissioner of Information, spearheaded by Senior Counsel Charles Ramson, father of the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport.
Susan Collymore, another Red Thread member, raised concern over the quality-of-life Guyanese are forced to endure on harsh salaries, with minimum wage just over $60,000. “Tell me wah duh could do. None of those ministers in there won’t take their wages and give it to poor people, so they could use $60,000 when the month come.”
Collymore argued that while government boasts of increases to pensioners and public assistance, those amount to a meagre $5000 and $3000 more, respectively.
Further, she believes the $100,000 cash grant to be paid this year is “disrespectful” to Guyanese. Instead, she suggested better paying jobs as a more sustainable measure to improve the lives of Guyanese.
Guyanese protest outside the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday, during the final day of the consideration of the budget estimates and expenditures.
“Poor people can’t eat certain things. They always have to forego something. Some of them can’t even afford to send their children to school every day. Some of them go to school and they can’t even eat a proper meal. Look at what they giving the children and calling it healthy meal- a pine tart,” Susan Collymore argued.
Similarly, Wintress Whyte noted, “The government minimum wage is $60,147 per month. House rent in Georgetown is $45,000 and up for a one bedroom. I can’t even add in the meals and transportation and so forth…poor people have to be in our bed worrying what we giving the children them tomorrow. We got to be doing Mathematics in we sleep. In we sleep we worrying, take away, subtract and then you divide and multiply the money still can’t do.”
Meanwhile, civil society member, Danuta Radzik raised concern about the budgetary allocation for the Commissioner of Information, whom she said was a failure. Radzik told Kaieteur News that she personally submitted a request for information relating to oil and gas documents that were never made available.
To this end she questioned, “Why is Mr. Ramson not doing his job and being paid $40 million for doing nothing? This is unacceptable.
GHK Lall, a newspaper columnist also joined the picket line in the blistering afternoon sun, with his placard. His contention is that Guyanese live in an oil rich country, with over half the population unable to feed their children and live in poverty.
He said, “The budget is a financial plan. It’s a mechanism where the government shares tax dollars, oil dollars and borrow dollars and I think here is an opportunity, record budget for the PPP government to do something different; (instead we have) $40 million for the office of information. It’s an insult to us. We get nothing out of that office.”
Sharing similar sentiments was outspoken attorney and Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram. He said, “I am offended that the first lady gets $50 million and Ramson gets $40 million. Now the first lady if she really wants to serve this country rather than living off the state, she should be setting up an NGO and getting involved in fund raising. That’s what first ladies do.”
Shifting his attention to the office of the commissioner of information, Ram argued, “What this government is saying is ya’ll can stuff it! We will pay him for doing nothing…they don’t care. This government has no care, no shame! All the things they talking about the poor people, when you look at who gets the real benefits from those vehicle concessions, it’s the rich people. But Ashni Singh made a whole set of noise about the poor people.”
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