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Banks ill-equipped to handle distribution of 300,000 cash grant cheques before year-end – PNCR
Kaieteur News- The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) on Friday raised concerns about the government’s plan to distribute 300,000 cash grant cheques through the banking system before the end of the year, arguing that Guyana’s banks are ill-equipped to handle the surge in activity.
On Thursday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced that not every citizen will receive the $100,000 cash-grant before Christmas, stating that others might have to wait until the 2025 budget is passed.
Jagdeo explained that the $30.5 billion that was recently approved by the Committee of Supply caters for the first phase of the distribution of the cash grant to citizens 18 years and above. The amount is expected to cover at least 300,000 persons including public servants and pensioners.
However, the Opposition contends that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration has failed to adequately plan the distribution process, leaving many citizens facing potential delays and extended waiting times.
Leader of the PNCR, Aubrey Norton
In a statement issued following their press conference on Friday, the PNCR stated that the government’s promise of swift distribution of the cash grant for public servants has been marred by inefficiency. The Opposition criticized the administration for what it described as a “mad scramble” to implement the initiative, alleging a lack of structure and preparation.
“The PPP’s lack of planning will almost certainly mean several hours of waiting time in lines for each and every recipient. If the government intends to leverage the banking system to deliver cash grants by cheques it needs to arrange for overtime hours and compensate banking employees accordingly,” the PNCR said.
The Opposition party is contending that the local banking system is not designed to process such a high volume of transactions within a short period, especially during the busy holiday season. The party called for alternative methods to streamline the process, including additional registration points and multiple options for grant collection and encashment.
“It is clear that the government needs to explore a wider range of options for persons (i) to register, (ii) collect their cheques, and (iii) to cash their cheques. The PPP clearly did not plan this grant in advance as appropriate distribution systems should have been already established,” the party said.
The PNCR also urged the government to prioritize lower-income regions and vulnerable populations in the distribution process. They warned that delays in providing relief to these groups could exacerbate existing hardships.
“If desperately poor families are kept waiting until the middle of next year it will cause needless suffering,” the PNCR noted.
Looking ahead, the PNCR promised that if elected, it would adopt a more structured approach to cash transfers, including implementing a comprehensive data management system to facilitate smoother and more equitable distribution of financial assistance.
(Banks ill-equipped to handle distribution of 300,000 cash grant cheques before year-end – PNCR)
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