‘Budget 2026 is positioned with the people at the centre’ – Guyana Chronicle

–contains strategic investments in special needs education, PWDs and elderly support, child care services, tax relief, and direct cash transfers, President Ali says

BUDGET 2026, presenting under the theme: Putting People First, is designed to move beyond piecemeal assistance and instead targets a better quality of life for all, with targeted investments in special needs education, support for persons living with disabilities, the elderly, children and overall, distributing economic wealth to Guyanese households, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.
Speaking during a wide-ranging budget discussion with an all-women panel, the President said, on Monday, that this year’s national budget is jampacked with opportunities for all, enabling an environment for broad-based economic participation.
The President said: “The focus will be on people. Everything we do in government relate to people. However, policy formulation is at a macro-scale and sometimes is not understood at the level of the community, it is not understood at the level at different segments of the population.
“So, in the next five years you will see policies that are correlated directly to the changes in our economy, the changes in the lifestyle of our people, the changes in the community, in society and of course, the economy in general.
“Budget 2026 is positioned with the people at the centre. The measures are designed to ensure greatest impact on people, to ensure that the greatest level of economic wealth is directly attributed to the people’s lives, their living conditions, creating more opportunities for disposable income and a higher quality of life.”
One highlight of this year’s national budget, as the President pointed out, is the expansion of special needs education and more services for persons with disabilities.
$316.5 million has been allocated in 2026 for several important projects and inclusive initiatives. One of the most significant projects is the construction of Guyana’s first school for autistic students, which will be built at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).
The government will also establish Special Education Needs (SEN) centres in every region, and open a dedicated SEN Unit at Port Kaituma Primary School to provide focused support for students requiring specialised learning environments.
The government, the President said, is looking at a system that incentivises the expenditure that a family would have to utilise to take care of these children.
Budget 2026 allocates resources not only for infrastructure but also for the training of educators to meet the requirements, Dr. Ali affirmed.
For 2026, the government has budgeted $300 million to advance several important projects, including the completion of a day and night care centre at Providence and the start of construction on four new centres across Regions Two, Five, Six, and 10.
To promote overall child and family development, the 2026 programme will introduce new safe, child-friendly spaces where families can access recreational and educational activities within their communities.
These hubs aim to encourage emotional growth, social interaction, and positive early learning experiences in safe, supervised settings.
The initiative is intended to reduce the burden on parents, especially on working families, by creating safe and predictable care nationwide.
“That is what 2026 budget does for special needs children, persons living with disability, the elderly. It gives us that accelerated impetus now to build out at a national scale the support mechanism for these groups,” President Ali said.
DIRECT CASH TRANSFERS & TAX RELIEF
Although the pressures of cost of living have become a global phenomenon, President Ali said that the government has issued a wide-ranging package of not only income support measures but also direct cash transfers.
Some of these measures include the $100,000 national cash grant that will go to every citizen 18 and over, and according to the President, the cumulative effect of that is pumping $60 billion into the pockets of persons.
There is also the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant which has increased to $60,000 per child and introducing a new annual Transportation Support Grant of $20,000, and President Ali also pointed to the increase in old-age pension and the introduction of a transportation grant for the elderly; and the increase in public assistance and the continuance of the newborn grant, which is $100,000.
With the income-tax threshold set to be increased from $130,000 to $140,000 per month with effect from the 2026 year of income, President Ali said this is another measure that puts more money into the hands of workers.
“That is removing 5,000 persons from the tax register right away, and that is putting billions of dollars, additional dollars into the economy, into people’s pocket directly. So, you’re going home with more money,” President Ali said.
Other tax measures include the removal of net property tax for individuals, provisions for electric and hybrid vehicles, lower taxes on small-engine vehicles, and incentives on productivity vehicles such as pickup trucks.
CONTINUED FOCUS
Education reforms, including digital schools, and free university education, the President labelled as “game changers” as he noted that health, security, education and efficient public services will continue to be focused on heavily.
To this end, the President encouraged Guyanese abroad to return home as there will continue to be opportunities to deepen investments while also allowing them to benefit from the same benefits as those citizens at home
Dr. Ali also pointed to the expansion of the local content framework and emphasised its importance.
The Guyana Development Bank also stands as a major tool that will address long-standing barriers to entrepreneurship and in this year’s budget the initial US$100 million injection paves the way for the establishment of the financial institution.
Young entrepreneurs, women, and persons living with disabilities will be able to access up to $3 million in micro-credit loans at zero-interest with zero collateral requirement for targeted investments in specified sectors. The President further added that these loans will be accompanied by training.