Opposition wants special scrutineers to observe cash grant distribution

Opposition Leader and Leader of the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton today called for scrutineers to be present during the distribution of the $100,000 cash grant to citizens amid concerns that the programme could be used by the Government to siphon off money to its friends, family, and supporters at the expense of Guyanese.

At a press conference today, the PNCR Leader said the announcement by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that non-resident Guyanese would also be eligible to the one-off cash grant, can be seen as another ploy by the government to engage in corruption.

“While we believe that Guyanese from the diaspora, who are in Guyana, registered and have a national Identification Card should be able to access the $100,000 one-off cash grant, we are deeply concerned that what Jagdeo and the PPP are doing, is creating another avenue for corruption,” he said.

Contending that the PPP has the ID cards of many of its supporters, in particular those residing overseas, Norton made a case for opposition scrutineers to be present during the distribution of the cash grant.

Norton also took issue with government’s approach to the cash-grant, telling reporters that every time the President and Vice President speak about the initiative, they manifest their inability to plan effectively.

He said it also speaks to a high level of division within the Government, pointing out that when the announcement was initially made by President Irfaan Ali, nowhere in his statement did he indicate that non-resident Guyanese will also benefit.

“In the first case the government said that this cash grant is to help Guyanese with the high cost of living. It is unimaginable that they were referring to Guyanese from diaspora who are at home at the time of the distribution and therefore were not experiencing the high cost of living. Clearly, this is another of Jagdeo wild cat schemes that emerged after Ali’s announcement. In addition, it is evident that there is serious and obvious division between Jagdeo and the President, since nowhere in President Ali’s pronouncement it was suggested that Guyanese overseas will benefit,” the PNCR Leader said.

He said while not so long ago, the Government fought tooth and nail to avoid the payment of a substantial salary increase to the nation’s teachers, it is today willing to dole out billions of dollars to non-resident Guyanese.

“This new pronouncement also raises the question: how is it you had no money to pay a little below 15,000 teachers, but you are finding money to pay thousands of Guyanese in the diaspora? Clearly PPP mischief is a foot and they do not care for the people of Guyana and are merely seeking to enrich themselves,” Norton said.

He said the entire situation is concerning since the PPP is prone to forgery, bribery and corruption, and systems must therefore be put in place to ensure there is a high level of transparency and accountability.