‘Our record has been one of delivery, competence’ – Min Walrond
– says budget 2025 designed to secure prosperous future for all Guyanese
Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling its promises, describing its record as one of ‘delivery, competence, execution.’
During the ongoing budget debates in the National Assembly on Monday, Minister Walrond lauded Budget 2025 as a transformative tool designed to secure a prosperous future for all Guyanese.
The minister highlighted the PPP/C government’s efforts to uplift citizens, even without the fiscal space now afforded by oil revenues. She pointed to the reinstatement of school cash grants, pensioner subsidies for electricity and water, and bonuses for disciplined services, initiatives removed under the APNU/AFC administration.
She reminded the house that, “The APNU/AFC government, after removing all those benefits, granted themselves a 50 per cent salary increase and told the people of Guyana they have nothing to apologize for.”
Responding to Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Amanza Walton-Desir’s claim that government support depends on available resources, Minister Walrond criticised the former administration for failing to deliver even after the advent of the first oil.
“Know them by their deeds. They have no credibility,” the minister stated.
The minister also addressed criticisms of the $10,000 healthcare voucher, which MP Desir described as a transfer of funds to the private sector. Minister Walrond clarified that the programme gives citizens the flexibility to access private healthcare services while maintaining free public options.
“The opposition wants to take us back to the days when there was no private sector, where the state controlled every aspect of the economy and dominated people’s lives, and did so poorly,” she said.
The Minister also responded to MP Juretha Fernandes, who criticised jobs in the hospitality sector. Minister Walrond defended the dignity of honest work and highlighted the sector’s growth under the PPP/C Administration.
“The hospitality sector is much more diverse than the honourable member imagines. Guyanese can and do patronise these hotels,” she said, inviting MP Fernandes to see the industry’s expansion in Bartica.
Minister Walrond outlined the government’s broader efforts to empower small businesses and create jobs, including a 20 per cent government contract allocation for small businesses.
This initiative has awarded approximately $25 billion in contracts to 2,500 small contractors, with 30 per cent of those businesses being women-owned. She also noted that the hospitality sector employs nearly 22,000 people, with 2024 occupancy rates reaching 88 per cent in the business segment.
Between 2020 and 2024, the industry added four new hotels and 561 rooms, creating jobs during both construction and operations.
The construction sector has also grown significantly, with over 2,000 community infrastructure projects awarded to small contractors in 2024 alone.
Minister Walrond reiterated that budget 2025 is a bold vision for Guyana’s future, rooted in sustainability, equity, and progress.
She urged the opposition to move beyond divisive rhetoric and work for the nation’s collective good.