With over 11,000 persons having already benefitted from Government’s Part-time Job Programme, a whopping $10 billion has been allocated in Budget 2023 to facilitate the extension of the initiative throughout this year.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said during his presentation that “In 2023, this programme will continue and will be expanded with $10 billion allocated. The beneficiaries of this programme are encouraged to upskill themselves so they can eventually take up full-time employment as the labour market is confronted with a shortage of skills in certain areas.”
The part-time job programme was rolled out in 2022 as part of a suite of measures implemented to cushion the rising cost of living.
The initiative has allowed for one person per household to work in public offices in close proximity to their homes for 10 days per month and earns $40,000.
Over 11,000 persons were employed through the programme in Regions 2, 3, 5, 6, 9 and 10, injecting $2.3 billion into these households since the programme started in the second half of 2022.
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister also announced that a total of $5 billion is set aside in Budget 2023 for additional cost of living measures that will be determined from the ongoing community engagements.
This, he explained, is in recognition of the continued impacts that the cost of living challenges has had on Guyanese due to global developments.
“Government continues to consult with stakeholders across the country on the development and implementation of interventions to alleviate the impact of increases in prices,” he added.
