Jagdeo confirms cash grant for citizens by Christmas

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has confirmed that citizens will receive another round of cash grants by the end of this year, assuring that the government will deliver on its campaign promise.

Responding to questions at his press conference yesterday, Jagdeo said: “Whatever the President said on the campaign trail will be done.”

He added: “This is a five-year term we have, there will be several cash grants in the five years…Don’t worry about it.”

His remarks follow public debate sparked by a September 30 Kaieteur News article which quoted Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat under the headline, “Oil cash handouts will leave Guyana poorer.”

The Ministry of Natural Resources later clarified that the headline misrepresented Bharrat’s comments from a Starting Point podcast interview, where he had cautioned against using cash transfers as the only way to spend oil revenues.

The Ministry stressed that Guyanese have already benefited from cash transfers, including a $100,000 payout in October 2024 that reached approximately 600,000 citizens, and that such measures remain part of the government’s policy.

Jagdeo’s confirmation now makes clear that another grant is expected in December, as previously hinted by President Dr Irfaan Ali on the campaign trail.