Dear Editor,
I wish to bring not only to your attention but to the attention of the Foreign Affairs Minister and also the general public a breach of service offered by the staff of the Suriname Embassy located in Queenstown.
My sister who does not wish her name to be in the newspapers, engaged the service offered by the said embassy to obtain a copy of a birth certificate for a senior relative who was born in Suriname but lived here in Guyana for a number of years, and was married to a Guyanese. She was told that the cost would be $6,000 and that it would take six months before she could obtain the copy of the birth certificate. The money was paid and six months came and went. She made two visits on different occasions after the time expired, and was told that they would make inquiries and call her. She finally decided to ask for a refund for the fee she paid since it has now been over one year since she applied for the said document.
When she visited there a few days ago she met and talked with a member of staff who had promised to call her on one of her previous visits, but did not do so. To her surprise, when she asked for the refund he boldly told her that is why we tell people to go to Suriname to get the document themselves, in addition to which they don’t refund money. However, these people took a fee for the service offered when she went there to inquire how the document can be obtained with the help of the embassy. My sister has a receipt.
Editor, this may not be an isolated incident, and in case anyone else finds themselves in this situation, I am making this public. A report was made to the Alberttown Police Station but my sister was told it was a private matter.
I am asking the Foreign Affairs Minister to investigate the service being offered there.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)