Rambarran: Oil fund spending on infrastructure not at citizens’ expense

Economist Richard Rambarran has dispelled claims that oil fund resources are being spent on infrastructure and capital projects at the expense of citizens.

Speaking on the Starting Point podcast, Rambarran rejected calls for unconditional cash transfers, saying such measures are unsustainable and could harm the broader economy. “One can programme a budget where we move $100,000 unconditional cash grant to maybe $1M, but is that fiscally responsible, sustainable, and transformative for the economy?” he asked.

He warned that repeatedly injecting unconditional funds into the economy could boost aggregate demand and trigger inflationary pressures.

Rambarran added that the fiscally responsible approach balances recurrent expenditure with capital investment.
The economist cited countries that suffered economically after prioritising politically popular cash handouts without long-term development measures. He said Budget 2026 continues to address cost of living and build transformative infrastructure despite criticisms focused on cash transfers.