‘Pink slip’ or not, cash grant team will revisit communities – Prime Minister assures

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, on Saturday assured residents of Paradise on the East Coast of Demerara, that each household that was missed during the first round of the COVID-19 relief cash distribution, remains eligible for the grant and will receive it during the second phase of delivery which has started.

He was in the area to encourage residents to utilise the vaccination facility established in the community and to listen to their concerns.

In responding to a resident who said that her household received neither the grant nor the ‘pink slip’ (given to secondary households or persons renting) during the initial distribution, the Prime Minister encouraged her to reach out to the team once they have returned to the community.

He reassured the residents that the Government has promised and is committed to ensuring that each household receive the $25,000 COVID-19 relief cash grant.

“Pink slip or not, the team is coming back into every community, we have started in the interior regions already and we are going to work our way to the Coast, the money is there… we said every household, it will happen, they will get back to you”.

Residents during the session raised additional concerns about security and community infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and streetlights.  The Prime Minister after listening to them at a community church, also took a walk around the village.

He committed to solving challenges where possible, but also encouraged them to work together in community groups.

“We expect some discussion at the leadership level in the community… You have an existing Co-operative Society and I will talk with Minister Joseph Hamilton and have him come and work with you, we are here to have a discussion with you and help you, because this Co-operative spirit is important… I’m telling you that you can have a Co-operative Society and a Community Development Council (CDC) and both groups can work together”.

Resident of Paradise, Mr Randolph McPherson said that he was pleased by the outcome of the meeting and was confident that the Prime Minister would honour his commitments.

“I’m happy that the Prime Minister came to discuss many of our problems and I am totally satisfied with what he said and I know that many of the issues raised will be solved”.

The outreach to the community was organised by the Prime Minister’s representative for Region Four, Bishop Patrick Findlay. [Extracted and modified from the Department of Public Information]