Approximately 136,000 households in Region Four are expected to benefit from the government’s $25,000 per household COVID-19 relief cash grant and the distribution is likely to start this week, according to Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall.
“We will begin distribution in Region Four shortly, more than likely next week…It will be in the first phase – 136,000 households with over $3.4 billion being distributed,” he was quoted as saying on Friday in a report of the Department of Public Information (DPI).
“The position of the Government has remained constant, and that is we will be issuing to primary households, and those households that cannot be verified as independent, they will have to fill out a ‘pink’ form to be verified. Following the verification, the secondary households will be provided for,” Dharamlall added.
The DPI report said communities will be notified prior to being served but a distribution schedule will not be publicised for security reasons.
It noted that distribution is expected to begin along the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) and the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and that clerks were undergoing logistics training to facilitate a smooth exercise.
On September 7th, President Irfaan Ali announced that every household would receive the grant to cushion the effects of the pandemic.
Distribution began on September 29th in the farthest regions given their vulnerable economic state, and has been completed in seven regions.
The report noted that government is in the final stages of the distribution in Region Three and Region Five.
