Dear Editor,
The PPP/C’s posture on the $100K cash grant has not been sitting well with many Guyanese. From the time this announcement was made on October 10, 2024 by President Ali in his address to the Parliament that every household will receive $200,000 and this will be done ‘instantaneously.’ Subsequently, there was the shifting to a $100,000 to Guyanese eighteen years and older, the voters list generated by GECOM will be used to effect payments, an ‘app’ to be created by the Ministry of Finance and NDMA. All this was pronounced by Mr. Jagdeo, who perhaps has the final say on government matters. To qualify for the cash grant, all eligible persons must be registered. Therefore, Editor what has become of the ‘app’?
The Parliamentary Opposition is on record denouncing the actions and approaches employed by the government regarding the registration process and insisting that persons’ photos and other information should be provided.
Long before tabling financial supplementary papers, for the approval of the $30.5b for the Cash Grant, I learnt of persons being registered and verified in Region 9.
On Wednesday, November 27, 2024 during the consideration of Financial Paper #4, where approval for the $30.5b was being sought, the Opposition Mem-bers sought clarity on the following questions:
1. Why are persons forced to take photos, when their ID cards are tendered during registration?
2. Why are persons forced to conduct reregistration, when GECOM is the Constitutional body to conduct such?
3. How many Pensioners and Public Servants will be benefiting from the first tranche of $30.5B?
4. When will other categories of Guyanese receive their cash Grants?
5. When will the distribution commence for the categories of Public Servants and Pensioners?
6. Guyanese who are not in the jurisdiction at the time of registration, how will they be facilitated?
Editor, the Hansard will show that Prime Minister Mark Phillips was incapable of providing basic and reasonable responses to the questions. What was egregious, is the mendacious behaviour of Government Members, especially Mr. Kwame McKoy. When the Government was reminded of what Mr. Ali stated when he addressed the Parliament, “…cash grant ($200,000.00) will be paid instantaneously”, Mr. McKoy went off in his usual behaviour, claiming that Mr. Ali never uttered the word, ‘instantaneously.’ I know what I heard, and so as well all Guyanese.
What was demonstrated by Mr. Mark Phillips, in the National Assembly last Wednesday, November 27, 2024; is that the government is incompetent, there is no coherent plan for the implementation and distribution of the $100K cash grant.
My colleagues and I were equipped with several questions for Mr. Phillips; however, we were constrained by Speaker Manzoor Nadir, MP. One can only assume that the Government has something to hide! One such question I had for Mr. Phillips, why the disbursement of the $100K is under his portfolio and programme, ‘Disaster Risk Management’ and what are the disasters?
Over the weekend of November 30-December 1, 2024, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security published its schedules for 2025 OAP books distribution, with an additional publication that pensioners will also be registered for their cash grants simultaneously. National Insurance also published their schedule, where and when pensioners can be registered.
Imagine, the Nation was told that Public Servants and Pensioners will be the first to receive the cash grant disbursement. Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo stated at his last presser (Thursday, November 28, 2024) that all other Guyanese will receive theirs after approval of additional sums in Budget 2025, by the National Assembly. Lo and behold, detailed schedules are in circulation for Region 9. From all observations, it appears Public Servants, Teachers, Pensioners and residents in Region 9 will receive their $100K, taking effect from yesterday (Tuesday, December 3, 2024). This arrangement shows how disingenuous the PPP/C can be.
Editor, for those familiar with the landscape of Region 9, will know that many of the villages are sparse, they are manned by village Councillors, they do not have banking facilities in close proximity, since many are forced to pay in excess of $6,000 in transportation costs.
Therefore, I would like to put the following questions to Prime Minister Mark Phillips, MP:
1. What arrangements are in place for residents in far-flung areas in Rupununi to encash their cheques?
2. Will residents be forced to leave their communities and travel to Lethem to have their cheques encashed?
3. Will the residents be paid with cash by their village leaders?
4. Which entity or officials have oversight, to ensure monies or cheques are verified and accountable, and the process is transparent?
A Government that practices the tenets of good governance for a programme like the $100K would ensure the following are done:
1. Ensure all registration are done by a date for those in country. When this phase is completed, move to the next step:
a. Provide a listing of all pensioners, whether Old Age, NIS, joint services and government.
b. Listing of the number of active Public Servants, those who are pensioners and working month to month, contracted employees, number of teachers, nurses and doctors.
c. Listing of current numbers in the joint services.
d. Listing of all eligible Guyanese eighteen years and older, as per region.
With the above approach, the Govern-ment will be equipped with data, which will allow them to make informed decisions. It will also obviate corruption! Now, that the Government has commenced registration, and payments, then as a Member of the National Assembly, I call on Prime Minister Mark Phillips to make the following public:
1. Number of all pensioners registered as of yesterday (Tuesday, December 3, 2024).
2. A disaggregation per numbers of persons registered in Central Lethem, Deep South, South Central, North Rupu-nuni and South Pakaraimas.
Editor, I am not clear what mechanisms the government has in place to facilitate persons who never had an ID card, just registered with GECOM and awaiting for same to be processed, persons who misplaced their ID cards and do not have an eligible passport to participate in the registration process.
Yours sincerely,
Annette Ferguson, MP
