Nuts and bolts – how Budget 2026 will improve everyday life

Discussions on the national budget often fixate on billions of dollars, but its real meaning is most often experienced in the small details of daily life

In Budget 2026, themed “Putting People First”, the government is convinced that cheaper electricity, modern infrastructure, safer communities, and free training opportunities will improve the lives of Guyanese citizens more than any single cash grant ever could.

In his latest interview on HJ 94.1 Radio Station on Thursday evening, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said the $1.558 trillion budget is crafted to ensure that state spending is felt as tangible, everyday improvements in how Guyanese live and work.

“What people want is opportunity,” he said, adding, “A good job, a decent income, a safe community and the ability to live comfortably. That is what this budget is about.”

Reduction in electricity prices

Households have been grappling with the high cost of electricity, a basic amenity that thousands of families depend on countrywide. The government is seeking to address this by bringing the massive Gas-to-energy (GTE) project online at the end of 2026.

In Budget 2026, $10.7 billion has been earmarked to advance work on the landmark initiative being developed in Wales on the West Bank Demerara (WBD).

By early next year, it will be fully operational, ensuring that households have access to cleaner and affordable power – a key commitment made in its 2025 Manifesto.

“From the time we switch that power plant on, and people start getting electricity from it, and we cut electricity bills by a half, it translates immediately into more cash, more disposable incomes,” Minister Singh explained.

To ensure every household benefits from this, the government is investing over $60 billion to improve Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) Transmission and distribution (T&D) network.

The upgrades will facilitate power transfer from the GTE site (Wales) to Garden of Eden, Goedverwagting, Sophia, and across the Berbice River in Number 53 Village (Region Six).

Not only will it reduce electricity costs, but it will also power the rapidly growing economy, with phase 2 of an additional 300MW planned.

“The reason why we’re going to be able to cut the cost of electricity by half is because the cost of producing the electricity will be dramatically less. Because we’re harnessing our own gas instead of having to buy expensive heavy fuel oil and diesel to push the plant,” he underscored.

Transport infrastructure

Turning his attention to transportation infrastructure, the minister said the $196.1 billion for national infrastructure development (roads, bridges) is about reducing travel stress and costs and unlocking economic opportunities by making more land accessible for development

Recent investments along the East Bank corridor have already changed how people move, cutting journeys that once took hours down to minutes for commuters travelling to and from Georgetown.

Congestion along the East Coast remains a daily frustration for many residents, particularly during peak hours, but with ongoing road widening works, including the expansion of the former railway embankment up to Mahaica, congestion will soon be a thing of the past.

He also highlighted the construction of new North–South and East–West corridors, such as Heroes Highway, the Ogle-to-Eccles Road and the extension of Aubrey Barker Road, which are intended to reduce dependence on the East Coast Road as the main artery.

“You’re going to get to a point where people are going to be able to get to the East Coast without going on the East Coast Road as we know it,” he pointed out. “And that’s not only about getting to your destination more quickly. It’s also about saving time, saving money.”

Training opportunities

Guyanese of every age and background now have the chance to earn a higher education at no cost. The options range from the tuition-free University of Guyana, which has been allocated $12.7 billion, to the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), the Board of Industrial Training, and other programmes that are opening doors that were once firmly shut.

This expansion of free learning, Dr Ashni Singh stressed, is not a cosmetic reform but a foundational one.

The aim is to equip citizens with the skills and credentials needed to care for themselves, build wealth, and live with dignity by stepping into high-skilled jobs in a rapidly growing economy.

In other words, education policy is being used as the main transmission belt through which national growth is converted into personal opportunity.

Safer communities

To create safer communities nationwide, the government has increased its spending in the security sector, with $100.3 billion earmarked in the 2026 Budget. According to Minister Singh, this is just as important as it is a quality-of-life investment that will ensure people’s properties, assets, and families are safe.

To ensure faster response times, $900 million has been earmarked in the 2026 budget as part of a wider $36.2 billion investment into the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

These were among the many topics Minister Singh discussed on the radio station as lawmakers prepare to engage policy debates at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) from Monday (February 2).