With the manual distribution of the $100,000 cash grant proving to be an uphill task with many persons being forced to stand in line for hours, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has indicated that future grants will be disbursed directly to bank accounts.
At a three-hour-long press conference on Thursday, the Vice President said the Government would rely heavily on the incoming national electronic identification card (e-ID) system to facilitate the transfers. The implementation of that system is facing extensive delays.
“We are hoping that with the enhanced biometrics, we will be able to allow a significant growth of mobile money, online banking. We would encourage every Guyanese to then have an account, so then it is easy when you can verify because you have solid biometrics now that people are alive and well and they are resident in Guyanese, and in this case, even the residency wouldn’t be an issue. Then we will be able maybe to deposit direction in your account,” the Vice President.
He said the use of banks would allow for a more effective and efficient distribution of the cash grant, and would address many of the challenges currently being experience in the ongoing registration and distribution exercise for the grant.
“That would be the easiest thing for us to do, to give payment instructions to the bank and they deposit in every body’s account, all the people,” the Vice President said.
He said registration in a number of other areas are set to begin soon.
“I am sorry for what took place in NA, it should have never happened. We made it clear that we haven’t started the registration in the five remaining areas. In the new year, just in a matter of weeks’ time, we will start in regions 2, 3, 5, 6 and 10. We will start soon”, he said.
The distribution of the $100,000 cash grant for pensioners and public servants got off to a chaotic start in December with thousands of persons, including teachers and pensioners flocking distribution sites.
“We will be opening up an office in every NDC, and two in Georgetown to continue registering people. So, you will be able to register if you miss,” he said.
According to him, within weeks, registration for the cash grants in Regions 2, 3, 5, 6 and 10 will commence.
Of the more than 370,000 persons already registered for the grant, the Government has said more than 100,000 have already collected their money.
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