Auditor General will ‘double check’ for missed recipients of COVID-19 cash relief- Pres. Ali

Last Updated on Thursday, 17 December 2020, 20:36 by Denis Chabrol

President Irfaan Ali on Thursday said the Auditor General’s Office would be conducting an audit of the GYD$25,000  per household to ensure the monies were properly disbursed and ascertain if anyone did not receive the COVID-19 cash grant.

He said he asked the Ministry of  Finance, Ministry of Human Services and the Auditor General to examine the concerns that have been raised on mainstream media, Social Media and opposition personnel that a number of persons have not received the aid. “This benefit is for every single qualifying household. In some regions where the households got and there was a tenant, for example, the pink form was filled,” he said.

The President explained that State auditors would return to verify the households that received and ascertain whether there are others that never got any monies. “In that process, too, if there was any household that was missed, they can definitely contact the team,” he said.

Dr. Ali said he has also instructed that a number be published for members of the public to call if their household was missed.

Recently, residents of Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara and parts of Sophia said they did not receive any cash grant and they believed that they were deliberately bypassed because of racial or perceived political affiliation.