Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has called on Indigenous leaders to help steer the next phase of development in Guyana’s hinterland communities by placing greater emphasis on job creation, income-generating activities and housing, while assuring that Government support through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) will continue over the next six years. Jagdeo made the remarks on Monday during an interactive session with Toshaos attending the 2026 National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference, where he outlined the Government’s vision for strengthening village economies and improving livelihoods across Indigenous communities. Addressing the gathering at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), the VP reflected on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) victory at the 2025 General and Regional Elections, noting that the party increased its parliamentary majority from one seat to seven. He said the outcome demonstrated public confidence in the Government’s development agenda. “The development of our country is not an easy task and development doesn’t come overnight,” Jagdeo said. “We have had to walk a long road together from one of the poorest countries in the world, one of the most heavily indebted countries in the world, to today one of the shining examples of how a country should manage progressively its economy and its national affairs.” He said Guyana’s progress had been achieved despite political challenges and criticism from the opposition, stressing that meaningful development requires careful planning rather than rhetoric.

Oil wealth misconceptions

Jagdeo also addressed what he described as misconceptions surrounding Guyana’s oil revenues, saying many people assume the country’s oil wealth is sufficient to fund every national need. He explained that all of the oil revenues collected to date are still insufficient to finance even 40 per cent of the national budget. “I keep saying to them that until this year, all of the oil money that we collected can’t fund 40 per cent of our budget. Every cent of oil money that we collected can’t fund 40 per cent of our budget,” he said. According to the VP, this demonstrates the importance of prudent financial management and continued economic growth outside of the petroleum sector.