Public Service Credit Union’s books to be audited- Trevor Benn

Last Updated on Saturday, 2 March 2024, 23:29 by Denis Chabrol

The newly-elected committee of management of the Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union (GPSCCU) is expected to order an audit of that financial institution’s accounts, according t0 Trevor Benn who was the highest vote getter in Saturday’s elections.

“The first thing we have to do is do a proper audit 0f the society. We don’t know what the state of the finances are at the moment. As you know know, there have been lots of allegations made about how the money has been spent over the last two years and we want to have a fukl understanding of what’s going on at the moment,” he said when asked by Demerara Waves Online News.

Demerara Waves Online News was reliably informed that the GPSCCU has GY$6.4 billion.

Mr Benn, tipped to be the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of that credit union, said the audit would allow the committee of management to determine how best to serve the thousands of credit union members. “Once we have that information, we’ll be able to make more definitive decisions in relation to what will happen for our members,” he added.

Saying that the election of the 12-member committee of management was a “victory” for GPSCCU members at the Special General Meeting after a two-year long running court battle, Mr Benn praised their determination to express themselves for the betterment of their organisation. “I think it’s a very good thing that members of the credit union are allowed to question the leadership of the organisation and to take steps necessary to bring them to account,” he said.

Mr Benn said steps would be taken to improve access to the GPSCCU’s office, a higher standard of service, increased rate of response and assurances that their “needs” would be addressed. He said that over the years members had been complaining about the “hassle” they had been experiencing to acquire loans,” he said, noting that loan processing had in 2018 taken as much as 15 days to two months to obtain loans. “We want to make sure that people coming to us for small amounts of money can get it on the same day,” he said.

He shrugged off claims by former Committee of Management member, Karen Van Sluytman that the meeting was unlawful because members were not told what was the quorum at the start of the meeting. Mr Benn said the old management committee had been asked several times for the members register but none was provided. “Those issues were trivial and provocatory and they should not be given the kind of credence that we want to assign to it. I am convinced, based on what the Chairman said at the beginning of the meeting that we had a quorum and that the meeting will go ahead on the basis of the quorum that was established,” he said.

The GPSCCU would in the coming days be reporting to High Court Judge, Navindra Singh about how the elections were held.

Of the 1907 votes that were cast, the new committee of management members are Trevor Benn (1816), Patrick Mentore (1636), Vanessa Kissoon 1,608, Mehalai Mc Almont (1504), Christopher Thompson (1504), John Anderson (1495), Eslyn Harris, Judah Louisy (1490), Kirk Fraser (1403), Candance Enmore (1255), Rajdai Jagernauth (1251) and Beverley De John (1133).