A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is accusing the Government of failing to honour an officially announced cash-transfer promised to Guyanese ahead of Christmas, arguing that families who planned their spending based on the pledge are now being left in limbo without a timeline or clear details.
APNU’s Ronald Daniels said the coalition is repeating its concern over what he described as the administration’s “continued disregard” for delivering the payment, noting that with Christmas days away, there remains no public schedule for distribution.
He also took issue with the manner in which the promise was publicly framed, recalling the statement: “If you behave yourself, you get it this year.” Daniels said the language was “vulgar” and warned that the delay is fuelling the perception that the announcement was a “shallow and disrespectful election gimmick.”
“Families that planned and budgeted based on that promise deserve an immediate, factual update,” Daniels said, insisting that if the Government never intended to proceed, “it should not have made it in the first place.”
According to Daniels, at a minimum, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration should be transparent with citizens rather than, as he put it, “holding them at ransom for a cash grant.” He said if the administration still intends to proceed, it must publish a concrete public timetable for payment without further delay.
Daniels argued that uncertainty surrounding the cash transfer has intensified pressure on households already grappling with rising commodity prices, while also deepening distrust over the management of national resources at a time when Guyana’s fiscal outlook is rapidly improving.
He referenced APNU’s public protest on Monday, saying the demonstration reflected the coalition’s solidarity with citizens and its intention to keep the issue in the public eye until the Government provides clarity and acts.
“Guyana’s oil wealth should be a turning point that lifts standards of living for all Guyanese, not a source of deeper inequality,” Daniels said, adding that APNU continues to press for accountable management of national resources, improved wages for public servants, and immediate relief for youths and households affected by what the coalition views as broken commitments.
Last month when he was asked for an update on the cash grant, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said “Our government always delivers.”
