Public enterprises in Guyana spent nearly $150 billion during the first half of 2026, with expenditure climbing by more than 50 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year, according to the Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Report.
The report showed that expenditure by public enterprises reached $149.7 billion, representing a 53.5 per cent increase from the $97.5 billion recorded during the first six months of 2025.
The increase was attributed largely to higher spending by the Guyana Oil Company Limited (Guyoil) as a result of increased fuel acquisition costs.
The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) also contributed to the rise in expenditure as the utility faced higher costs associated with generating sufficient electricity to meet growing demand.
According to the report, GPL’s capital programme also increased by $24.7 billion when compared with the same period in 2025, as the company expanded works on its transmission and distribution network.
While spending increased, public enterprises also recorded significantly higher receipts during the review period.
Total receipts climbed by 53.2 per cent, moving from $95.6 billion in the first half of 2025 to $146.5 billion during the corresponding period this year.
The report noted that the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) recorded a $2.5 billion increase in contributions. Transfers from Central Government also increased substantially, reaching $53.6 billion during the first half of 2026.
Despite the increase in receipts, the public enterprises recorded an overall deficit of $3.2 billion at the end of the first half of the year.
The Ministry of Finance is projecting that the combined deficit of public enterprises will widen considerably during the remainder of the year, reaching $17.1 billion by the end of 2026.
