…as registration opens in Region 4
The government has commenced the distribution of the $100,000 cash grant per adult citizen in Region Nine (Upper Demerara-Berbice), while registration for all citizens eligible to receive this one-off grant has also commenced in Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica). 
The first stage was the registering public servants, pensioners and persons in the hinterland communities for the $100,000 per adult citizen cash grant. Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has announced that the registration is now opened to all eligible members of the public, 18 years and older.
Among the areas where registration is now ongoing that were announced by the Minister are communities along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway and Demerara River, with registration centers also up and running in Georgetown, middle and lower East Coast of Demerara (ECD). The Minister also assured that additional locations would be provided soon.
Meanwhile in Region Nine, with residents already having been registered, recipients of the cash grant were provided with liquid cash on Tuesday. Prime Minister, retired Brigadier Mark Phillips, alongside Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag, were on hand to spearhead the distribution of the cash grant in Lethem.
The distribution exercise took place at the Tabatinga Sports Complex for residents of Lethem and St. Ignatius and will continue until December 6 for that area. For other villages in the region, the government will soon be provided information with their distribution schedule.
The PPP/C government has been urging citizens 18 years and older, to register as soon as possible. During a recent interview, the finance minister had explained the process this initiative entails and what categories of persons, including those in the public and private sectors, can expect.
“The first step is, to lookout for the publication of the registration schedule of your area. And when that schedule is published, I would ask that everybody, of eligible age, come out and get registered. Turn up with your ID card or passport and get registered,” he had explained.
“Step two is verification of the registration. So, this is making sure that there is no duplication, or data validation. Which should happen fairly quickly, because the registration process is a very efficient one.
You may have heard that we’ve developed an app that is very efficient in terms of scanning your ID card and capturing the data electronically.”
Dr Singh had explained that while passports would require the manual input of information, the ID cards can be scanned quickly and efficiently using the app. Meanwhile, step three would involve the cutting of cheques for distribution to eligible recipients.
And asked to comment on the scepticism expressed by some on social media about consenting to have their photos taken during the registration process, the finance minister had made it clear that while no one is compelling the public to have their photo taken, this is a necessary prerequisite in order for them to be registered.
“We are not of course compelling anybody to have their picture taken. You do have the option not to have your picture taken, but if you do exercise your right to not have your picture taken, you will not be registered,” he had said.
Only recently, the Government had been granted approval for more than $84 billion in supplementary funds for projects that included the highly-anticipated $100,000 one-off cash grant initiative. Of this amount, $30.5 billion is for the commencement of the $100,000 cash grant initiative.
The government’s $100,000 Cash Grant Initiative was announced by President Dr. Irfaan Ali in October and every Guyanese citizen 18 years old and over will receive the payout. Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has indicated that initial distribution process of the $100,000 one-off cash grant is expected to see about 300,000 Guyanese receiving their cash grants before the end of the year, while the remainder of persons should receive theirs next year. (G3)
