Vice President and PPP General Secretary Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has clarified that President Dr Irfaan Ali’s national budget for 2026 will be presented in January, and not during the President’s address this week, which he said was intended to outline the government’s broad policy direction.
Speaking at a press conference at Freedom House on Thursday, Jagdeo explained that the President’s presentation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre was not a budget speech, but a high-level outline of the administration’s agenda for the next five years. He said the upcoming budget will translate that agenda into concrete measures and expand on it further.
The Vice President also dismissed claims by the opposition that the President had already delivered his budget speech, stressing that the address was instead focused on setting the direction for what the government has described as the most ambitious phase of Guyana’s economic and social transformation.
Jagdeo said the re-elected PPP/C administration is building on what it considers the major achievements of its previous term, with renewed emphasis on inclusive development.
He further pointed out that the government’s plans were already laid out ahead of the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections through the party’s manifesto, which detailed its priorities for the new term. The manifesto, he noted, was presented as a development blueprint shaped through sustained community engagement and long-term policy planning, rather than short-term campaign commitments.
