-Min. McCoy claps back at Opposition over claims of Afro-Guyanese exclusion in Budget 2026

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, has firmly debunked claims by the Opposition that Afro-Guyanese are not positioned to benefit from the policies and initiatives outlined in Budget 2026.

Specifically addressing statements made by Opposition MP David Hinds, the minister dismissed allegations of marginalisation, arguing instead that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government has crafted a fiscal plan that creates a “human face” for every dollar spent.

He expressed distaste and great offence at the MP’s assertion.

“I am offended as a young black Afro-Guyanese…in this party for 26 years. There has been no moment, no instance when any of our policies and programmes were geared to exclude anyone in this country,”he said.

Minister McCoy emphasised that the budget caters to every race, regardless of political affiliation. He rejected the notion that any one category of people is being left behind on the “other side” of the political or social divide.

 According to the minister, the government’s work is visible in the daily lives of the people, asserting that the Afro-Guyanese community will “continually benefit” from the current administration’s development agenda.

“What we have here as a national budget is a plan that every single Guyanese in the majority are proud of because they recognise that we are a government for the people,” he declared.

Responding to claims that the budget lacks provisions for the working class, the minister referred to teachers, nurses, policemen, and small business owner and other working groups as primary beneficiaries.

“Every dollar in this budget has a human face,” he underscored. “The budget is an investment in lives, not just the creation of line items.”

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to inclusive growth and pledged that the administration will give no merit to what he termed “manufactured outrage” from those seeking to divide the nation along racial lines.

“Every single one of us, from our President and by extension the other officials of government… will work for you and your development and your successes,” he promised.

Budget 2026 provides for the increase of the income tax threshold from $130,000 to $140,000, a move expected to remove approximately 5,000 individuals from the tax threshold and put billions of dollars back into workers’ pockets. The government has further committed to $100,000 national cash grant for every Guyanese aged 18 and over, alongside the increase in the “Because We Care” grant to $60,000 per child and a new $20,000 annual transportation grant for students and pensioners.

Furthermore, the budget targets the high cost of living by allocating $10.7 billion to bring the Gas-to-Energy project online by year-end, which is projected to cut electricity bills by half.