Chaos as teachers join lines for $100K cash grant

Dec 24, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News- It was a scene of chaos and frustration for Region Four teachers as they joined long lines to receive their $100,000 cash grant from the government.

The exercise yesterday was widely condemned by the teachers who had to brave intermittent showers. This newspaper was told that the distribution of the grant started at the Ministry of Education on Brickdam before moving to the St Stanislaus College.

“So teachers have to line up at MOE (Ministry of Education) for the cheque, then line up at the bank again to deposit or change it. Smh, backward ever forward never. Generational wealth,” one teacher commented on his facebook page. “This is really frustrating,” another teacher commented, pointing out that the government could have devised a better system to distribute the funds to the teachers. “This is Christmas, so many of us have things to do to prepare for Christmas and we have to come here and wait in these long lines,” the teacher who asked not be named told this newspaper.

The teachers said at the time when they registered for the grant, they were asked to submit their bank account numbers. “So we did that and now instead of putting the money in the account we have to come here and punish in these lines,” the teacher who spoke under conditions of anonymity said.

General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers’ Union and Shadow Minister of Education, Member of Parliament, Coretta McDonald in a statement condemned what she described as “this barbaric, crude, lawless and inhumane treatment that is being meted out to the teachers of this Dear Land Guyana.”

According to McDonald, in the history of the country, “our moulders of the nation have never been brought to the level that they are at until now, under this corrupt, inept and heartless regime. This act of having our educators having to assemble in lines to receive that pittance of $100k is a clear indication of how disrespectful, irresponsible, shameless and inconsiderate the PPP/C regime is and is a stark reminder of how much they value teachers.”

McDonald said it is not rocket science that a better system could have been put in place. “As a matter of fact, the very system that was used to gather the teachers’ information could have been implemented again for the distribution or even better the monies could have been deposited in their bank accounts. But this crude PPP/C wants it to be registered that, teachers are not on the same level as the Diamond Ballers. It is disgusting to say the least but here again their incompetence is exhibited for all to see. It is a gloat for them because the photo opportunities will be used to oil their propaganda machines. We demand that a better mechanism be put in place for our teachers and every citizen in this country for the remainder of the cash grant distribution.  Our teachers deserve better!”

 

It was only on Saturday President Irfaan Ali hailed the distribution of the $100,000 cash grant to persons aged 18-years and older as an asset to empower citizens to create long-term wealth and opportunities. During the second episode of ‘In the Seat’ that aired on Saturday evening, President Ali said the grant should not be perceived merely as cash handouts.  He pointed out that by using the grant as an investment platform, beneficiaries can pool their resources together and embark on business initiatives that will ultimately grow their net income, build wealth and contribute to the nation’s progress.

“When you take it from the individual, family and community level, you [would] understand the comprehensive, holistic impact it can have on individual, community and national wealth creation,” the president explained. He assured public servants that they will receive their grants before the end of 2024. According to the Department of Public Information (DPI) to date, 50,000 public servants and members of the disciplined services have been registered. Cheques have already begun printing and will soon be distributed to the various agencies. Meanwhile, approximately 221,000 residents of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) have already registered for the grant. So far, the Ministry of Finance has verified the personal details provided by 156,000 registrants. Approximately $30 billion will be placed into the hands of Guyanese during the first phase of distribution. The cash grant will benefit 300,000 citizens. President Ali elaborated on the mechanism that needs to be followed to ensure the highest standard of transparency in the grant’s distribution. These include a thorough coordination between the Ministry of Finance, the Auditor General’s Office, the Bank of Guyana (BoG) and the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC). “The capturing of persons in Region Four is ongoing and we are hoping that once there’s enough data in the system, that we can start paying out the cheques,” he stated.

To ensure every Guyanese aged 18-years and older benefit, a second phase of registration will be undertaken for those who were otherwise unable to register. This is part of the government’s broader strategy to generate long-term wealth for citizens. Additional measures are expected to be outlined in the next national budget. President Ali reiterated the government’s commitment to linking cash transfers to a specific outcomes such as supporting the vulnerable and the elderly. The head of state had previously announced a $2 billion fertilizer subsidy for thousands of farmers across Guyana.

In addition, $875 million will be expended to grant persons living with permanent disabilities a one-off cash grant of $35,000. Apart from cash transfers, the government is also investing in constructing specialised facilities catering to those with special needs. “These are investments that are important if we are going to build prosperity for everyone. Because prosperity built in every home, means investing in the vulnerable population so that they are not left out,” the president said.

(Chaos as teachers join lines for $100K cash grant)

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• $100, 000 cash grant, frustration, Ministry of Education, Region Four teachers, the government

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