Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo says the 2026 National Budget will come early and will demand strict, programme-based justification for every line item, signalling a hard pivot from incremental budgeting to results-driven spending across government.
Addressing reporters at his press conference on Thursday, Dr. Jagdeo said Cabinet has already instructed ministers, regional administrations and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) that “the traditional approach to budgeting would not be acceptable.”
Instead, every request must be defended “through programmes, and the objective of each programme would be how they’re responding to a particular need of the people.”
He stressed that the fiscal plan will be the principal tool to deliver on the administration’s manifesto, with funding aligned to measurable outcomes in job creation and better-paying employment, improvements in education and health, community problem-solving, including drainage, garbage management and neighbourhood security, and national security with an emphasis on safeguarding Guyana’s borders.
“The focus of the government and the party has shifted to delivering on those promises to ensure that budgets are oriented towards solving problems that our people encounter,” the Vice President said.
Jagdeo underscored that ministries will not be allowed to pad estimates with routine increases. Instead, they must show clear objectives, outputs and benefits for citizens, from capital works to social programmes.
That approach, he argued, will tie spending to service delivery and hold agencies accountable for performance.
Reiterating that Budget 2026 will be presented early, Jagdeo said front-loading the process will accelerate the start of projects in the new fiscal year, reducing delays in procurement and implementation and getting resources “to do the things we promised.”
According to the Vice President, the budgeting shift applies “in every ministry and every region… at the NDC levels”, ensuring that central government priorities are matched by regional and community-level programmes with tangible impact.
