‘Govt. must pay $170,000 extra cash grant to citizens’ - Ram

(Kaieteur News) – Guyana is now projected to earn 136.8% more from oil and gas production than it envisioned earlier during its Budget preparations. The massive windfall revenues should be enjoyed by the citizens of this country, according to Chartered Accountant and Attorney, Christopher Ram who is now demanding that Guyanese adults benefit from an additional $170,000 cash grant before the end of 2026.

In a letter to the editor on Tuesday, Ram pointed out that the Mid-Year Report made public by the Government of Guyana (GoG) on Monday highlights that petroleum deposits into the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) or the country’s oil account will reach US$6,497.6 million. He said that the estimate has more than doubled the expectations of government due to the ongoing war in the Middle East that has impacted the price of oil.

Based on calculations by the Chartered Accountant, the GoG used G$73.6 billion or 14.3% of the US$2,471.4 million deposited into the NRF in 2025 for the national cash grant, the year on which this year’s withdrawal was calculated. Ram said, “Apply the same proportion to the Minister’s own projection for 2026, and the citizen’s entitlement for the year is G$193.5 billion, or roughly G$270,000 for each adult. Of that, G$73.6 billion has been provided. The outstanding balance is G$121.8 billion, or about G$170,000 a head.”