For four months, ever since the new President was sworn in, almost on a daily basis, the new government has been announcing a new initiative to support and improve the lives of citizens. While the Government must build infrastructure, create jobs, bring in investment, it is imperative the new Government recognizes that people are hurting. For five years, the country’s Government created hardships for the people. Because of the previous Government’s stubbornness, they stagnated the country since December 21, 2018 when the No-Confidence Motion was passed, and then they unconscionably held the country hostage between March 3 and August 2. All the while, in the midst of the previous Government trying to thief the elections, COVID-19 was spreading all across Guyana. Now our people are paying the price. But our new President and his Government have rekindled hope.
President Irfaan Ali is quickly earning a reputation as the People’s President. Cheddi Jagan was the People’s President. Bharrat Jagdeo earned that title, and is still the People’s President. Today, Irfaan Ali is already following in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessors, not in any way trying to fit in their shoes, but crafting his own legacy. The youthful President has been travelling around the country, meeting and discoursing with his people, helping them resolve issues that plague their lives. But he is not only upfront and up-close with his people, not only listening to their problems, not only helping them find solutions, he is ensuring that the Government becomes more responsive to the social welfare and economic needs of the people.
Already, President Ali has travelled to most of the regions in Guyana. He is not just showing up to commission something. In just four months, he has travelled to more places in Guyana than the previous aloof President did in five years. Already, he has met more Guyanese, and personally engaged them more than the previous President did in five years. More ordinary Guyanese have met personally with President Ali in the last four months than those that had met the previous President in five years. All one has to do is look at President Ali listening to people tell their stories, talk of their woes. He does not hurry them up. He patiently listens to them, as if their stories are the most important things for him. That is what a People’s President looks like, how he behaves. He is not only their President, he is their friend, their brother.
But every day also, the President is rolling out policies and initiatives that empower people. This week, President Ali announced more support for vulnerable families reeling under the pressure of COVID-19. The President has announced that, through the Ministry of Human Services, the Government would provide a childcare subsidy for essential workers. The subsidy would support those essential workers who are parents of children seven years old or under. Among the workers who would benefit are frontline health workers, members of the Guyana Police Force, Fire Service, human services workers, domestic workers, security firm workers, and supermarket employees. The childcare subsidy is part of a menu of support programme the Government has been implementing since it took office in August 2020.
Even as this new subsidy programme is introduced, the Government’s $25,000 cash grant for households is being rolled out across the country. Simultaneously, the school supplies voucher programme is being rolled out in schools nationwide. The Government has continued the programme President Ali started before he was sworn in – distribution of food hampers to needy families.
President Ali had previously announced a bonus amounting to two weeks’ salary for public sector health workers and for members of the disciplined services.
But these measures are not the only ones the Government has rolled out since August as it tried to help people combat the burdens placed on them by the COVID-19 crisis. The Government has coordinated a support programme with the banks. Customers with mortgage have been granted a moratorium on their mortgage payments – they do not have to pay their monthly mortgage payments this year, and they will not be penalised for late payments. Customers who utilise ATM services are not surcharged. In spite of their having sustained losses, these banks have also agreed to provide short-term, low interest loans to businesses which have been especially affected by COVID-19.
In the last month, the President initiated a special economic enterprise programme for vulnerable women. More than 200 women have registered with the Ministry of Human Services to sew cloth masks. Many of these women have suffered from domestic violence, many are single parents. The Government has procured 183,000 cloth masks that are now being distributed to children in schools. In the next week, the Government will procure 50,000 more of these masks, and in the next several months, the Government will procure another 150,000 masks from these women. These women are not only on the frontline fighting COVID-19, they are earning a living because their President cares for them. By the end of this specific cloth mask initiative, in a few weeks’ time, the women would have earned more than $60 million because the People’s President is constantly looking for ways to help the most vulnerable in our country.
