Guyana – Government Paying US Lobby Firms $90,000 A Month

2026-02-13 - 15:58

The Government of Guyana is allocating a combined US$90,000 per month to two overseas lobbying firms tasked with advancing the country’s interests internationally, according to Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd. The disclosure was made during Tuesday’s consideration of the 2026 Budget Estimates, where $269 million was set aside under the ministry for “advocacy services.” The issue arose as Forward Movement Guyana (FMG) leader and Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir sought clarification on the nature and scope of the services being provided. Walton-Desir questioned the operational framework guiding the hiring of foreign lobbyists, particularly amid Guyana’s expanding development agenda. In response, Todd emphasized that the firms operate under government direction and are intended to strengthen outreach rather than replace the work of diplomats or shape national policy. “The lobby firms are not there to help us conduct our foreign policy. These are registered agencies that advocate on behalf of governments and in our case because of where we are in terms of our development trajectory and we have to also compete for the attention of big states it helps us to maneuver in the corridors of power to get to those offices that they need to hear from us and we don’t have the manpower or the size to do it,” Todd explained. While acknowledging that international lobbying is common practice, Walton-Desir raised concerns about whether local expertise was being overlooked in favor of foreign consultants. Todd responded that diaspora engagement continues, sometimes on a voluntary basis, but maintained that professional lobbying firms typically employ experienced personnel, including former diplomats, capable of providing effective representation. “When we’re dealing with a very competitive global environment and you as a country in the protection of your people and the advancement of your country, you need outfits that have the reach and the capacity and the human capital to do that. And it’s no it’s not strange to Guyana. You look at most of the developing world and even larger countries they will hire lobby firms in the jurisdiction where they may want to penetrate and it is something that that yields benefits for a country. It’s not a case where as a country you can hire a marketing firm. We’re not running a business...” he added. We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) parliamentarian Tabitha Sarabo-Haley later questioned whether the contracted firms were involved in extradition-related matters. Todd maintained that their mandate is limited to promoting initiatives aligned with Guyana’s national development and foreign policy priorities. “the firms are hired to ensure that we are able to highlight those initiatives that we find pertinent to not only our national policies and national development but ensuring that we can more effectively execute our foreign policy agenda,” he said. Pressed to identify the companies, the minister confirmed that the government continues to retain DR Consultancy at US$40,000 per month and Continental Strategy LLC at US$50,000 monthly. During the exchange, Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir ruled out further questioning related to extradition requests, noting that the matter fell outside the budget line item under review. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has been allocated $10.03 billion in Guyana’s 2026 national budget.