Overseas-based Guyanese eligible for cash grants if in Guyana – Jagdeo

Last Updated on Friday, 25 October 2024, 18:44 by Writer

Mr Bharrat Jagdeo

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said overseas-based Guyanese, who are 18 years and older as of January 1, 2024, could also receive the GY$100,000 cash grant per person if they are in Guyana and properly registered.

He said once they are in Guyana, they would have to register as the grant would not be paid overseas. “There is no residency requirement for the receipt of the cash grant so that makes Guyanese living abroad, having an ID card or a passport, also eligible for the cash grant,” he told a news conference.

Mr Jagdeo also ruled out the use of proxies by Guyanese abroad to authorise people here to uplift the grant. “No, no, no! No proxies. We’re not tolerating proxies. Next thing, a man goes around Brooklyn or Queens and they then get 1,000 proxies; everybody signs up.” he said.

Overall, he restated that the distribution of the cash grant would take five months, a process that would be aided by a mobile phone application (app) that was being developed and spearheaded by the Ministry of Finance. Mr Jagdeo said the app, which would collect data such as names, addresses, phone numbers and identification card or passport numbers, would have secure databases as well as a verification system that would ultimately lead to “secure ways of cutting the cheques”.

He restated that most of the payments would be done by cheque excepting mainly hinterland areas where a “carefully scrutinised system” with the involvement of the Auditor General would be required.

The Vice President also assured government employees that they would still receive the across-the-board year-end salary increases in addition to the cash grant.

The cash grant is expected to cost the treasury more than GY$60 billion, he said.

Mr Jagdeo scoffed at the Working People’s Alliance’s call for a feasibility study on the universal cash payout.