Residents of Georgetown will start receiving their COVID-19 relief cash grant before month-end, according to Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) yesterday reported Dharamlall as saying that the distribution team is currently making its rounds, in keeping with the guidelines to ensure every household benefit from the initiative.
“The team is currently on the East Bank. As of January 7, is in the Grove community so they have worked from the highway coming down while the team on the East Coast, as of January 6, completed distribution in Melanie. So, they are currently working to go in Strathspey, Vigilance, Buxton and Annandale, which are slated for January 7. So, before the month-end the team will be in Georgetown,” Dharamlall said. Last September, President Irfaan Ali announced the $25,000 per household cash grant to help cushion the effects of COVID-19 on households. It also seeks to stimulate the economy by increasing people’s spending power. Dharamlall said the Government is working tirelessly to ensure that no one is left behind and those most in need are served first.
The ministry started disbursing the cash grant to primary households in Region Four in December, even as it finished serving those in secondary households in other regions.
“Primary household owners are instructed to provide a valid form of identification to receive the grant. This includes a valid Guyana identification card, a valid driver’s licence or a valid passport,” the report said. It added that persons who are not at home during the distribution exercise will not be left behind as their names, addresses and other contact information are collected and a date scheduled to hand over their grants. The government intends to disburse some $3.4 billion to 136,000 households in Region Four.
