The Government of Guyana will begin distributing the $100,000 National Cash Grant to eligible citizens, with central government employees who receive their salaries through bank accounts set to be the first beneficiaries, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, announced.
Singh said the initial group will include central government employees who have previously provided their bank account information and already receive their salaries via direct deposit.
“The first cohort will comprise those central government employees who have previously provided their bank account information and are receiving their government salaries into their bank accounts,” Singh said. “We anticipate that these government employees will receive their $100,000 cash grant by the end of next week and we will be following up with subsequent cohorts of eligible beneficiaries thereafter.”
The move fulfills a commitment made by President Dr. Irfaan Ali and announced during the presentation of the 2026 National Budget.
Government officials said the use of the banking system to distribute the grant aligns with the administration’s broader push to expand financial inclusion and advance its digital transformation agenda.
President Ali had previously urged citizens to open bank accounts to facilitate easier and more transparent government transactions.
“We are digitizing everything, so I am urging every Guyanese to open their bank accounts. We want every Guyanese to own their own bank account so that this digital transfer would be easy and efficient and, of course, transparent,” the president said.
With active bank accounts, the government said it can transfer funds quickly, securely and efficiently, as is currently being done with the payments to central government employees.
Singh noted that promoting financial inclusion is a key component of the initiative.
“To initiate a seamless distribution, we are leveraging existing financial infrastructure by directly depositing the grant into the accounts of about 50,000 public servants, teachers and members of the Disciplined Services by next week,” he said. “It is our intention that this efficiency encourages the wider public to embrace modern banking.”
To facilitate payments to other eligible citizens, the government will soon launch an online digital platform where individuals can register and submit the required information. Details about the platform and instructions for registration are expected to be announced shortly.
In preparation for the rollout, the Ministry of Finance has been working with commercial banks to simplify the process of opening accounts and to enable online account registration.
Several banks are currently offering online account opening services, including Demerara Bank Limited, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited (GBTI), Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited and Scotiabank Guyana.
The PPP/C administration said the grant is part of its broader strategy to expand access to financial services and strengthen economic opportunities for households and businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
In recent years, the government has implemented several cash-transfer initiatives, including grants for newborn babies, annual cash grants for students in both public and private schools, increases to old age pensions, and expanded public assistance.
Additional measures announced this year include transportation grants for students and pensioners.
The current payout follows a similar initiative launched in late 2024 when the government introduced the first $100,000 National Cash Grant for every Guyanese aged 18 and older, transferring more than $60 billion in disposable income to over 600,000 citizens.
Officials said the new round of payments will again inject more than $60 billion into the economy once the distribution is completed.
The $100,000 payment represents the third major nationwide cash transfer introduced by the PPP/C government since returning to office in 2020, when it first launched a $25,000 per household cash grant during the COVID-19 pandemic.