Awash in oil money, Guyana promises cash, free tuition and other perks ahead of election

Associated Press

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The president of Guyana has announced several perks ahead of next year’s general elections, including free college tuition and a one-time cash payment of nearly $1,000 for every household in the oil-rich South American country. Irfaan Ali also promised to cut power bills by half and increase minimum monthly wages from $350 to $500 as he addressed Parliament late Thursday. He noted that the country of nearly 800,000 people can afford to help residents via public aid programs. Guyana was once one of the poorest countries in South America but has been awash in money after a consortium led by ExxonMobil discovered the first major oil deposits in 2015 off its coast.