GCOPD applauds Govt’s move to reform Board of Guardians

The Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) has expressed support for the Government of Guyana’s announced reforms of the Ministry of Human Services and the Social Security Board of Guardians. Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo outlined the reforms on Thursday last during a press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). He said the measures are aimed at addressing reports of exclusion and bias in the approval process for public assistance and ensuring that all eligible applicants have fair and accessible access. “The complaint has been that many people can’t get onto the database because they’re excluded by the Board of Guardians for reasons that are not objective,” Jagdeo said, adding that “a lot of people complain that the Board of Guardians, ‘oh, they don’t like me. We have a family dispute. That’s why they didn’t put me on the list.’ So, it’s very slow,” the VP said. He noted that the Government is exploring a new system designed to prevent arbitrary choices and guarantee that individuals who qualify under the set standards are promptly included in the assistance registry. “…we have to reform the system, and the system is currently being reformed. So if you are a single parent, and you’re a low-income single parent, then you should be able to qualify for benefits once you meet certain metrics, and those metrics will be clearly identified, and then it can be implemented. So if you’re disabled then automatically you should be on the system. You shouldn’t have to run around and somebody in some region telling you can’t get on the list because they can only put limited numbers on this list,” Jagdeo said.
In response, GCOPD highlighted that individuals with disabilities have long faced challenges in obtaining public assistance due to arbitrary decisions by the Board of Guardians. The organisation welcomed the move toward a criteria-based system with clear metrics, which it said would bring objectivity to the approval process.
GCOPD also urged the Government to appoint individuals with disabilities to each Board of Guardians to ensure their interests are adequately represented. The organisation pledged to actively contribute to the reform process as it progresses.