BREAKING: GY$100,000 cash grant to every adult Guyanese

Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 October 2024, 17:44 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday announced that each Guyanese 18 years and older as of January 1, 2024 would now get GY$100,000 in cash grants.

He said that decision was in response to concerns by many persons including young persons who were not heads of household.

“My government will now expand this benefit by providing a one-off cash grant of $100,000 to every citizen of Guyana 18 years and above, as of the 1st of January, 2024 with a simple means of clarification being possession of a national valid identification card and/or a valid passport.

Fellow Guyanese, this measure is now aimed at reducing the risk, the complexities, the conflict that were previously alluded to by citizens in their outreach to the cabinet and in my personal engagements,” he said.

Dr Ali noted that since the first announcement, government has seen a surge in the transfer registration of utility meters and a rush to prepare tenancy agreements, all of which are aimed at establishing a distinct household, as well as other complications that may arise in administering these benefits.

The President said government was wary of the likelihood of inter-personal conflicts.

Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan had several days ago publicly recommended that in order to eliminate the controversy over what constitutes a household, government should distribute a grant of GY$100,000 to each adult Guyanese.

Here is the full text of President Ali’s statement:

My Fellow Guyanese:

Last Thursday, I announced a series of measures in keeping with my Government’s aim of increasing disposable income, creating better opportunities, and building prosperity for all of the People of Guyana.

As is always the case with such initiatives, my Government’s aim is to ensure ease of implementation, removal of barriers to access, and simplification of administrative procedures, always in the best interest of the population.

It goes without saying that, in the normal course of implementing any Government policy initiative, pre- and post-testing and analyses are critical to ensure the greatest impact and highest level of efficiency in the delivery of service.

Over the past week, thousands of Guyanese have engaged myself and members of my Cabinet providing extremely favourable feedback on the measures I announced last Thursday, and tens of thousands have publicly expressed their welcoming of these measures.

Particularly in relation in the announcement of a one-off cash grant of $200,000 to every household in Guyana, several persons have indicated to my Government the complications they foresee in the implementation of this much welcome benefit and fear being left out.

These complexities and some of the feedback that we have received have included internal family conflict about access and internal distribution of the grant, a rush to transfer registration of utility meters, and a rush to prepare tenancy agreements all with the aim of establishing a distinct household, as well as other complications that might arise in administering this benefit.

Having regard to these challenges, whether real or perceived, I instructed last Friday that this measure be re-examined, with the aim of expanding the benefit while removing the challenges previously highlighted. I further asked that this reconsideration be guided by the following key principles:

1. Reducing the burden of administering the benefit.
2. Simplifying the procedures for accessing the benefit.
3. Improving ease of verification.
4. Minimising any potential conflicts that might arise
5. Ensuring an open, transparent, verifiable system of delivery.
6. And, expanding the benefit.

In addition, of paramount importance was ensuring equitable distribution amongst and within households and across the population at large.

In keeping with the above important tenets of this People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government that I have the privilege of leading:

I now wish to announce that, instead of the one-off cash grant of $200,000 to every household previously announced, my Government will now expand this benefit by providing a one-off cash grant of $100,000 to every adult citizen of Guyana who would have attained the age of 18 years as of the 1st January 2024, with the simple means of verification being possession of a valid national identification and or a valid Guyanese passport.

This measure is expected to substantially increase the $60 billion previously allocated for this measure.

Furthermore, it would be recalled that I also announced the abolition of tuition fees at the University of Guyana with effect from 1st January 2025. In response to feedback received, I now wish to announce that tuition fees will also be abolished at all government technical and vocational training institutions, including all of the technical institutes, the Guyana Industrial Training Centre, and the Carnegie School of Home Economics.

This expanded measure will benefit in excess of 3000 persons.

16 October 2024.