In a move aimed at bolstering disposable income and creating better opportunities for all citizens, President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced a revised cash grant initiative on Wednesday.
The new measure will provide a one-off cash grant of $100,000 to every citizen aged 18 and above.
The President made the announcement after receiving substantial feedback and concerns regarding the previous plan, which proposed a $200,000 cash grant to every household.
According to Dr. Ali, the government’s decision to revise the scheme comes after careful consideration of challenges related to its implementation, including complications within families regarding the distribution of the benefit and issues with verifying households.
“In the past week, my government has received thousands of favourable responses to the measures announced last Thursday. However, we also received valuable feedback about the potential complications in implementing the $200,000 per household grant,” said Dr. Ali.
Some citizens expressed concerns about being left out, while others raised internal family conflicts over the distribution of the funds.
Dr. Ali explained that while the original $200,000 grant aimed to help households, it also created complexities in verifying and administering the benefit. He noted issues such as the rush to register utility meters and prepare tenancy agreements, which added unnecessary strain to the process.
After careful review, the President instructed a re-examination of the initiative, which led to the decision to scale down the grant to $100,000 per citizen, but expand its reach by ensuring that every eligible person, aged 18 years and older, would receive it.
The revised plan, according to Dr. Ali, will simplify the verification process, reduce administrative burdens, and minimize the potential for conflicts within families and communities. Eligibility for the grant will be based on simple documentation, including possession of a national identification card or a valid passport.
“The new approach will allow for a more equitable distribution and improve access across all communities,” the President added. “It is designed to be transparent, easy to implement, and will ensure that the maximum number of citizens benefit.”
Dr. Ali emphasized that this move is in line with his government’s vision of building a prosperous society for all Guyanese, where everyone, regardless of their location or background, has the opportunity to share in the country’s economic progress.
