COVID-19 assistance must be efficient in order to be effective – FITUG

The assistance by the Social Protection Ministry given to vulnerable groups within the population has come under the watchful eyes of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG).
The Federation stated that it recognises that the de facto Granger Government has decided to provide some form of assistance to those who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federation is reiterating its call for the State to provide assistance to the thousands of affected Guyanese during this trying time.
“In as much as we are heartened by this development, we must share that we were disturbed to learn that even at this late stage, the touted relief is not immediate. Dishearteningly rather, we see affected and now distraught Guyanese are being asked to submit a request to determine their eligibility,” FITUG explained.
The Union body also pointed out the absence of information regarding the period before a request would be considered. Further, the Federation questioned the financing of the touted initiative, given that the Government is in caretaker mode.
“This, we believe, is a critical element and the silence, of course, causes us to become anxious. Certainly, we hope this matter could be quickly cleared up and all the ambiguities addressed. The already too long delay in commencing the initiative means that the process ought to be efficient if it is to be effective and thus mitigate against hardships being faced by many,” the missive stated.
The Union is also calling for the initiative to be broad-based, given that the assistance only applies to persons benefiting from the public assistance programme and those who have applied for assistance but are awaiting a response along with individuals who lost their income after the coronavirus outbreak.
“We have been saying, the initiative must be broad-based and take account of the many obligations of families which have been affected by the prevailing situation. To seek to address a few while ignoring others can have its own effects and, therefore, we have high expectations that a comprehensive package would be provided.”
Moreover, the Federation stated that it is hopeful that those needy families can be quickly identified and assistance is fast-tracked to them in this time of need while noting that the installation of a legitimate Government premised on the will of the Guyanese people has been a severe setback.
“Many persons have shared publicly their stories of anguish which have collectively tugged at the heartstrings of the nation. It is indeed saddening that they have had to suffer for such a considerable period but the absence of proactive leadership by the authorities in this pandemic period, we contend, is to blame,” the missive concluded.