Hundreds of cash grant seekers stood up by Govt. in Berbice

Aug 04, 2023 News

…many turned away disappointed, without a cent

Kaieteur News – Hundreds of Berbicians were on Monday disappointed after they turned up to a business grant distribution exercise organised by the Government and were forced to leave empty-handed.

Residents told Kaieteur News that they were informed that the government would be distributing small business grants to the tune of $200,000 for residents in Regions Five and Six Berbice and as a result they showed up.

However, when the residents went to the locations to cash in on the business grants, they were told they had to wait in line before they could get assistance. “We line-up in the hot sun from morning till almost night at the Albion Complex everybody waiting to collect this grant that the [Vice] President tell us about but we wait whole day and ain’t get nothing. The estate people come and tell we in the afternoon that we got to move cause they have to lock up the compound,” a male resident stated.

Expressing his disappointment, the man explained that hundreds of residents in the area left empty-handed and feeling very let down by the Government. “We went first Friday and they tell we come back Monday and is like they choose who to give this money because I know that some people get the grants. If they tell we, we had to apply or register first for this thing we didn’t mind but them give some people and got everybody else pun a set of gimmick” the man added.

A screenshot of a section of the befuddled residents that turned up at the Albion Complex on Monday

In Region Five, a similar situation unfolded when residents turned up at the office of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) to collect the business grants. Leonard, (only name given) a resident of Region Five said that they were encouraged to tap into the business grants offered by Government.

“Lo and behold when we turn up there, not a cent we ain’t collect!” the man declared in his frustration. He said that he received information that about 700 people collected their grants on Saturday.

“So when they tell we come on Monday and got we line up in the sun, them know very well that they aint got no money to give we,” he stressed.

The man said too that he believes that the persons, who were able to access the grant soonest, were those who have close connections with the People Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration. “This cash grant feels more like is for the PPP people rather than all Guyanese,” he said.

Kaieteur News reached out representatives of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for a comment, but was told that they were not in charge of any distribution of the cash grants. Narendra Persaud Regional Executive Officer in Region Six said that the distribution was done by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Persaud told Kaieteur News while he could not say much about the distribution because it was not done through the Region, he could that at least attest to the fact that 700 hundred persons received the promised sums.

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Berbicians, business, Government, grants, small

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