Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall has said the distribution of the $25,000 household COVID-19 cash grant is due to resume soon under the second phase of the initiative.
“The first phase was finished and we are in the process now of beginning the second phase. Many of the region’s pink forms have already been evaluated and audited. They will begin in earnest distribution [in] the second phase, to fulfil those gaps that the pink forms had to record,” Dharamlall was quoted as telling the Department of Public Information (DPI) in an interview.
Where households were not given the grant, their details were taken by the distribution team for verification.
Dharamlall further encouraged citizens to work along with the distribution teams to ensure a smooth process. He said the workers and police faced several challenges to complete their task during the first phase of the initiative due to the behavior of some citizens.
“I’d like to encourage residents once again to make sure that they treat this process with some diligence and fairness, and also to avoid abusing and violating the staffers who will come around to do the distribution of the COVID cash grant in the second phase,” he said.
Last September, President Irfaan Ali announced the $25,000 per household cash grant to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on households. It also seeks to stimulate the economy by increasing people’s spending power.
Distribution began on September 29 in the hinterland regions.
