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Problems in the Paradise Multi-purpose Cooperative Society

Mar 25, 2012 Letters

 

 

Dear Editor,
I am on a short visit home and intend to remigrate very soon; so I was fortunate to be present at the Special General Meeting called on Sunday March 18, 2012 and attended by Minister of Labour, Dr.Nanda Gopaul to hear the concerns of the members the Paradise Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
At the outset let me congratulate the Minister for his commitment to ensuring that cooperatives in Guyana are managed in accordance with strict accountability and transparency.
I am certain that Dr. Gopaul had other places and events just as important to attend, but chose instead to visit with us to listen to members’ grievances and their suggestions, and to make his ministerial observations and offer his own ideas on the way forward.
Even though I am not acquainted with many of the persons who were there I can understand their concerns of how the Chief Cooperatives Officer and the persons assisting him are running their Society without any consultation whatsoever.
I may be ignorant of how things are done here but what I do know is that there should at least have been some development program which benefits the Paradise Scheme in terms of its appearance.  Imagine in this day and age hearing of homes still without water on the coastland where government has installed wells.
Then there was the horror story of a pensioner who could not build on her property and had to resell it for one third of the money she paid from a loan that she is still repaying.
The distressful thing about that whole episode is that the woman was forced to sell her house lot to a member of the same management committee which frustrated her efforts to claim her land and have her money returned.  If that is not a conflict of interest, I don’t know what is.
Anyways I was glad to hear the Minister giving his assurance that he will help those people who are unable to complete their homes with access to loans.
The Chair offered a suggestion that I think should be considered when he said that the Society should start getting individual titles processed so that members can access loans.
What was novel about his idea is that there are individuals who are unable to pay off whatever money is owed to the Society and therefore with its assistance would be in a better position to do so when they receive a loan.
Somebody told me that with a letter of assurance from the Ministry of Housing the hurdle of waiting time for title could be crossed.
Another sore point that I think shows a lack of vision is the fact that the community does not even have a center community gatherings for recreational, educational or other social events.
I understand that a project supported by the Ministry of Local Government aimed at community development failed because there is no area where the items including computers, books, and bookshelves could have been stored.
This is a tragic waste of a very good imitative.  Space does not permit me to share my other views except to say that I hope that the Minister will carry through with his commitments including a forensic audit and not allow himself to be bamboozled by anyone who might believe that he is unlearned in the field of cooperative movement.
Name withheld

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