BUDGET 2023: GECOM gets $5.2B, Local Gov’t Elections catered for

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), a constitutional body, was allocated $5.2 billion in the 2023 National budget presented by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on Monday.

And Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamrall confirmed that funds were made available for GECOM to hold Local Government Elections this year.

“Funds have been made available as they were made available last year,” he told the News Room during a post-budget discussion on Monday.

Last year, a sum of $783 million was set aside for Local Government Elections out of the total $4.1 billion approved for GECOM.

During the consideration of the budget estimates, slated to begin on Monday, the exact sum allocated to GECOM is expected to be revealed.

Outside of the allocation to GECOM, Dharamlall said communities will have greater levels of spending on much-needed infrastructural work and the provision of jobs to people.

“With the type of budget we have, naturally you are going to find a lot of spending in communities and hopefully that will augur well for local democracy irrespective of which council is elected,” Dharamlall said.