Vice President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday rejected claims that the government is using delayed state ad payments to stifle the independent press, calling the allegation “an extremist view.”
The accusation came from Stabroek News Editor-in-Chief Anand Persaud, who said the newspaper had not received payment for six months’ worth of government advertisements.
Speaking at a press briefing at Freedom House, Robb Street, Jagdeo countered that the government has consistently supported all major media houses, regardless of their editorial stance.
“Kaieteur News got the largest amount of ads, $202 million, just about $4 million less than Chronicle,” Jagdeo said. “So they got paid, Kaieteur News last year, they got paid $170 million and about $32 million is remaining.”
He added that the state-owned Guyana Chronicle received $206.5 million in ad revenue, of which $148 million has been paid, with $58 million still owed.
Stabroek News, he noted, received $169.1 million, of which $133 million has been paid and $36 million is outstanding. The Guyana Times was paid $106 million, with $51 million still due.
“It gives you the magnitude of money spent on these media houses. This is the figure that was supplied to me today […] because I wanted to know, is this true that we are starving people of ads,” Jagdeo said.
He emphasised that the data proves the government’s commitment to funding a diverse media landscape, saying the support is provided “irrespective of their editorial policy.”
