Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond has reinforced the government’s commitment to keeping its promises and standing by the social contracts it made with the people of Guyana.
Minister Walrond visited the Elementary School on the East Bank of Demerara, where she engaged several parents and guardians on Thursday, who were uplifting their children’s ‘Because We Care’ cash grants.
She reminded them that the initiative was carefully crafted with each beneficiary in mind.
“This is not a charity; the Because We Care cash grant belongs to you. The ethos of our government indicates that we support families, children, more importantly, we support the citizens of our country as it relates to our dreams and aspirations being realised,” Minister Walrond stated.
A total of $11 billion has been allocated in the 2025 budget for the distribution of the grant to more than 200,000 children in public and private schools nationwide.
The cash grant now stands at $55,000 per child, and according to Minister Walrond, this is a clear sign that the government is keeping its word.
Over 200,000 students will benefit from this initiative in 2025.
But the minister did not stop there. She highlighted several key policies and achievements the government has made since 2020:
- Increasing payments for pensioners and members of the joint services.
- Reducing value-added tax (VAT) on water and electricity.
- Allocating over 50,000 house lots to families countrywide.
- Creating thousands of jobs in sectors like oil and gas, construction, and ICT.
- Training programmes in hospitality, welding, and heavy-duty equipment operation.
- Investments in education, including digital transformation and entrepreneurship for youth.
These efforts, she explained, are part of the government’s larger vision to ensure citizens have access to better housing, jobs, and quality of life.
Minister Walrond stressed that the government is not claiming perfection, but it is owning up to its challenges, as well as its successes.
