Dear Editor,
Last month, the Inter-American Development Bank released its Ten Findings about Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean, revealing that an estimated 58% of Guyanese live in poverty, surviving on less than US$6.85 per day, while 32% of the population live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than US$3.65 daily. With Guyana now classified as a middle-income country, a number of international social programmes that once provided critical support no longer exist, placing an even greater responsibility on the government to deliver for its people.
This report is alarming and demands urgent attention from political leadership and all stakeholders. What it is telling us is clear: oil wealth is not reaching the masses, creating ever-widening gaps where the poor get poorer, seeing few opportunities to escape poverty under a regime more obsessed with through billions behind infrastructural projects than human development. We face serious problems in this country, and it’s time we work together to fix them. Unity must never be based on convenience, but on necessity. We cannot unite only around the Venezuela/Guyana border issue while ignoring domestic crises, as the two are intrinsically linked. Basic services—education, health, water, electricity—remain inadequate, often inaccessible, and in many cases, simply non-existent for the ordinary citizen.
Billions are being funneled into programmes like GOAL and Coursera, while local institutions such as Critchlow Labour College, the University of Guyana, Cyril Potter College of Education, and nursing schools receive little or no support—some have even been closed. Public healthcare is underfunded, forcing citizens to rely on private hospitals at taxpayer expense, with patients often sent from public hospitals to private facilities for surgeries. This system undermines public healthcare and worsens inequality. We face grave challenges, and we can no longer leave it solely to politicians to decide what is best for us, especially when they fail to prioritise a just and inclusive society. We must not remain silent or complicit, hoping for crumbs when we deserve a fair share.
Workers—past, present, and future—struggle even in the world’s fastest-growing economy. Many cannot afford three nutritious meals a day, go hungry, or know someone who does. This is unacceptable in 2025! The focus should not be solely on new roads and bridges, but on ensuring decent wages, salaries, and pensions that reflect the cost of living. To address these urgent concerns, we demand:
Legislation for Article 13 of the Constitution – Ensure inclusionary democracy with greater citizen participation in decisions affecting their well-being.
Establishment of Constitutional Commissions – Foster transparency and accountability.
Legislation for Power Devolution – Empower regional and local governments as outlined in Articles 75 and 76.
Inclusive National Budget – Require at least 60% approval from elected Members for Appropriation Bills to promote cross-party cooperation.
Affirmative Action Legislation – Ensure equity in employment, public contracts, education, and socio-economic resources.
Direct Oil Benefits / Cash Transfers – Implement structured cash transfers guided by World Bank objectives to alleviate poverty and improve quality of life.
Eliminate / Reduce Income Tax (PAYE) – Restore child allowances and provide monthly grants for those 18 and older, with educational conditionalities.
Unemployment Benefits – Activate the NIS Unemployment Regulation and create a fund to support those between jobs.
Expanded School Meal Programme – Provide balanced meals to all public-school children, nursery to secondary level.
Improve Medical Services – Build fully equipped referral hospitals with trauma centers and diagnostic facilities in all regions, and invest in preventative care.
Reduce Utility Costs – Lower electricity, transportation, and gas prices; reintroduce public transportation to improve access for vulnerable communities.
Property Improvement Support – Offer interest-free or low-interest loans to improve homes and communities.
Strengthen NIS – Address the deficit to safeguard workers’ income and provide vital benefits for industrial injury, sickness, old age, and death.
In the face of these grave deprivations, workers and citizens must unite and challenge both Government and Opposition to act in the public interest. A threat to one is a threat to all, and solidarity must be demonstrated through decisive action.
It is outrageous that in the world’s fastest-growing economy, poverty and extreme poverty remain so high. The real numbers may be even worse, since surveys often fail to capture the full realities on the ground. This is a shameful situation. The Ali/Jagdeo regime, which has managed the oil economy while shutting out broader participation, has done an abysmal job. Their arrogance has convinced them they alone know what is best, governing without consultation and excluding the very people whose lives they claim to be improving.