Dear Editor,
The government is praised for doling out a grant to nationals. The distribution of $100K cheques to adults is a better proposal than the $200K to households albeit both are fraught with problems. The $100K to every adult may also cost the treasury more than the $200K but the former will lessen risks of fraud and skullduggery. Also, defining a household through a utility (electricity, water) bill is fraught with too many problems and the government was right to abandon that idea.
The Vice President presented good reasons for abrogating the proposal of the $200K grant to every household and its replacement with the $100K grant for every adult. It is extremely difficult in Guyana to identify or even define “a household”. Thousands of ‘households’ did not receive the $25K grant of 2021. Many individuals complain till this day and have refused to go to court to force the government to give them the grant. Any household that did not receive the 2021 grant will win any action filed in court; government will be instructed by the court to give them their legitimate grant. Those who did not receive their grant should consider filing a class action lawsuit; there may be a statute of limitation.
A better option for the grant would have been to distribute it (perhaps a larger amount) according to needs and or some other criteria. Many poor families are hurting badly with rising cost of living and medical bills. They need the grant. Subsidizing utility bills of ‘households’, including funding electricity and potable water to those not currently recipients, increasing the grant to school children, and allocating a sum to each family for medical (dental) would have been better options. All options have advantages and disadvantages. Supporting or advocating one over the other would have its detractors or critics.
Sincerely,
Vishnu Bisram
