Better systems needed for $100,000 cash grant distribution – Jagdeo

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has admitted that there needs to be better systems in place for the distribution of the 100,000 one-off cash grant cheques to Guyanese.
His remarks come on the heels of the chaos that ensued earlier this week when hundreds of teachers were made to line up in the scorching sun for long hours to collect their cash grant cheques. The situation sparked public outrage and criticisms over the treatment of the teachers – some of whom did not receive their cheques.
The Vice President explained during a press conference on Friday that there was a rush to get the cheques out to as many public servants as possible before the end of the year but contended that the situation with the teachers should have never happened.

According to Jagdeo, after persons registered for the cash grant, a verification process is then activated and once that is done, the cheques for those persons are printed and sent for distribution. In the teachers’ case, the Education Ministry invited all the teachers within the Region Four district to uplift their cheques when cheques were there only for those verified registrants.
“What happened is that they invited everyone out and they said come and collect. So, the 20 per cent of people who did not have their cheques cut for that day, they showed up too in some cases and they were disappointed. And it should’ve never happened. We should’ve had a better system to identify those and only invite those in [whose cheques were printed]… We need to devise, in the Ministries, better ways of communication with people…”
“So, we’ve spoken with the Ministry of Finance and they have to move to a better system or have a more conscientious way of approaching it by the managers of the different agencies. So, I agree that there may have been issues with people waiting too long and all of that… We do have to find ways of getting the distribution better,” the VP posited.
Currently, approximately 366,473 persons have registered for the cash grant thus far with some 245,436 cheques printed. Of these, just over 100,000 cheques have been delivered in mostly the five hinterland regions across the country.
During Friday’s press conference, Jagdeo gave a breakdown of the regional cheque disbursement.
In Region One (Barima-Waini), 78 per cent of the 16,035 cheques printed have been delivered. While distribution have recently commenced in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), about 70 per cent of the 6,538 cheques were distributed in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). In Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), just over 90 per cent of the cheques have been disbursed to date.
According to the Vice President, the distribution in the hinterland regions have been “more smoothly” since they are handover by communities and/or subdistricts.
Meanwhile, about 90 per cent of persons within the public sector have already received their cash grants and from Monday, distribution will commence for pensioners.
The VP explained that the Finance Ministry is currently overloaded with the cash grant exercise while simultaneously working on putting together the 2025 national budget.
“They will start soon in the other five regions of the country… This exercise is moving forward… be patient,” he urged Guyanese.
Jagdeo also used the opportunity during Friday’s press conference to debunk and rebuke claims by the opposition that dead persons were listed as registrants to collect the cash grant as well as allegations that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is using the exercise to collect citizens’ data for electoral purposes.
The Finance Ministry has already declared that there are safeguards such as the photo requirement of registrants – which are taken on the spot, to prevent any fraudulent claims.
Nevertheless, with over mover 245,000 cheques printed to date, it is anticipated that this figure will go up by the end of the year. In fact, Government had initially catered for 300,000 cheques to be disbursed in this first phase and had drawn down $30 billion for this.
VP Jagdeo explained on Friday that Government would make provisions for the second phase of the cash grant in the 2025 budget, which is slated to be presented in January and expected to be passed the following month.
Moreover, in addressing concerns about the cash grant, the Vice President assured that those who missed the registration period would still be able to get their money. Similarly, he said for those who are out of the jurisdiction during the distribution exercise, arrangements will be made for them to get their cheques when they return.
“We’ll make sure we announce a supplementary kind of approach where people would be able to maybe go to the post office wherever …but you’re not gonna lose the money if you didn’t get an opportunity to register… So, the fishermen don’t have to worry or the miners…”
“And we’re not gonna take back the cheques so when they come back [into the country, they’ll get it]… So, we’re gonna make sure that people get their money. The idea is once, you’re registered and you’re Guyanese. We’re not begrudging our people or trying to shaft them. We’re making sure, if they’re Guyanese they’ll get it,” Jagdeo asserted.