With protests continuing in Linden over the imposition of higher electricity tariffs, the town’s New Building Society (NBS) branch has not been in operation and account holders have been left without access to their funds.
The Linden Branch of the NBS was forced to close its doors at noon last week Wednesday when the protests began and to date it has not been able to service account holders, who have criticised the lack of access.
According to Robin McAlmont, she was surprised yesterday when told by three lines of officers that she would not have been able to do cash withdrawals while at the NBS main branch in Georgetown. “I am telling you I made a lot of noise in there and I have witnesses to the nonsense they were trying to tell me,” McAlmont told Stabroek News.
The overseas-based Guya-nese said that considering the shutdown of the town, she went to the NBS main branch to conduct several transactions. She said that she was able to update her account book but faced a stumbling block while attempting to withdraw cash. “They updated my book and then telling me I cannot get my own money because of some problem in Linden,” said the woman.
She said that when questioned, she was told that the system was not yet fully computerised and her only option was to visit the Linden branch.
Contacted yesterday NBS Linden Branch Manager Belinda Gomes confirmed that the bank was closed since Wednesday afternoon but could not comment further. She advised that her supervisor be contacted for any information. Efforts to do so were unsuccessful.
However, a member of staff who asked not to be named said that it was part of the institution’s guidelines that whenever a person opens an account, they must be told that they are only able to access cash from their accounts in the community where the account was opened.
The source also said that employees were trapped on the bridge and threatened by protesters last Wednesday as they were attempting to head to work. While they later operated with their gates locked, some persons rocked the gates and called on the manager to close the operations.
On Monday, the banks in Linden had remained closed and some residents complained that they were unable to withdraw money from ATM machines in the community.
Diplomats
Meanwhile, the town was quiet as the protest entered its eighth day yesterday. While a small number of persons seem frustrated by the extension of the protest, most residents remained resolute and were determined to bear the present challenges until their demands of the government were met.
Residents in small pockets were anticipating today’s visit by a team of diplomats from the US, Canadian and British missions that is expected to meet residents. A stage was erected and large tents were set up on the Wismar shore.
At the same time, protestors continued to maintain the barriers erected at Burnham Drive, Kara Kara and at Amelia’s Ward. Several additional blocks were erected at Wismar, in an attempt to further restrict the movement of vehicles. The primary means of transportation in the town now is the motorcycle.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the doors of the Wismar Market were opened for short periods, allowing stallholders and some shoppers to access. Some persons have been complaining of being exploited by their fellow residents and those shipping in fuel were calling $8,000 for gas, which on a normal day costs four to five thousand dollars. Such attempts to capitalise on the situation in the town were condemned by the leaders and residents of the town, although the condemnation has been falling on deaf ears.
Around town, persons have been focusing on holding wakes for the three men killed at the start of the protest and there was word yesterday that the funerals are likely to take place on Wednesday, August 1.
Though not confirmed by relatives of Ron Somerset, Allan Lewis and Shemroy Bouyea, it was said that services for the three men would take place at the Wismar end of the bridge and they would be buried at the Christianburg Cemetery.
