Gov’t to work with fisherfolk to ensure all receive $150,000 cash grant

… to receive relief grants by July

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has assured fisherfolk that the government will be working with them to ensure all who are deserving to receive the one-off cash grant of $150,000 benefit.

The assurance was given on Thursday by the VP during an engagement with the fishermen at Corriverton, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).
The grant is being given to fishermen to cushion the negative impact of the rising cost of living, low catch as a result of global warming, and increases in operational cost.
The industry plays a significant role as a foreign exchange earner for Guyana.
According to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade, in 2021, Guyana exported US$41.21 million in fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and aquatics invertebrates.
Low catch has been significantly affecting fishermen who operate in deep waters – a trend which was been impacting the industry over the past two years.
On Tuesday, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced the cash grant aimed at assisting fishermen.

However, at the meeting on Thursday, the Chairman of Number 66 Fisherman’s Coop Society, Pamashwar Jainarine said some of the members of the organisation are not registered with the fisheries department.
He explained that scores of members do not have national identification cards and there is also a huge number who have no birth certificates.
“Many of the members do not place much importance on those kinds of documents,” he told the former Heads of State. As such, he enquired if these persons will be bypassed or left out.
But assured that once they are actively operating their vessels, they will be facilitated.
“… but we also have to endure that that they get their ID cards and those who have to get birth certificates we get them looked after in the near future,” Jagdeo said.
He also gave the assurance that persons who work in the industry but are not attached to any organisation will benefit from the grant.
Chairman of Sheet Anchor/Friends Fisherman’s Coop, Rishiram Ramkissoon explained, “In my village, we fish a lot but most of the boys don’t have licenses and I want the get the money too, we can’t leave them out. No! I cannot leave the people in my village out. A lot of them are real fishermen; they go and fish.”
According to the Vice president the criteria for one to be eligible for the grant is that he or she must be making a living from catching and selling fish.
Meanwhile, the Vice President cautioned that persons who are not eligible should not make an attempt to collect the grants.
He noted that allegations have been leveled against some farmers who collected cash grants for farmers which were recently distributed.
“When we have out that cash grant some people said that they planted and lost their crop and then did not get any money while others who did not plant anything collected. We don’t want that to happen. So we will take the entire June to verify and we will pay out the money next month,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Vice President stated that the administration continues to work tirelessly, to ensure that Guyanese fisherfolk plying their trade-in Suriname’s waters, receive their official licences.
He reiterated that the matter remains a priority of the government while stressing that from all the efforts being made at the highest level, there is little progress.
The matter has even reached the Surinamese parliament but there has been no favourable response thus far.
“We were hoping that they come at the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo, but that did not happen,” he added.
The government has made it clear that it will not relent on its promise to address the fishing licences matter with the Surinamese authority.