$100K Cash Grant: Gov’t expects to issue 300,000 cheques by year-end

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday provided further details on the progress of the $100,000 cash grant distribution, reassuring that the process will continue through December and into January/February 2025.

The initiative aims to provide every adult Guyanese with the cash grant.

Jagdeo explained that the new system, developed by the Ministry of Finance, can process up to 10,000 cheques per day. By the close of December, approximately 300,000 checks will be issued.

Efforts are focused on prioritizing public servants and pensioners, with a goal of distributing their cheques before the year’s end.

However, Jagdeo acknowledged that not everyone will receive the grant before Christmas, and some may receive theirs in early 2024.

The government is working to ensure a smooth distribution by using a separate system, scrutinized by the Auditor General, to prevent fraud and ensure that only registered recipients are able to collect cheques.

As of now, a total of $30.5 billion has been allocated for the initiative, with plans to appropriate additional funds for remaining citizens once the national budget is passed in February 2025.

Looking ahead, Jagdeo noted that future cash grants would be distributed more efficiently with the establishment of a comprehensive database during this registration process which simplifies the process of verifying and processing recipients.

Jagdeo also briefly touched on Guyana’s model for managing oil revenue, highlighting its focus on ensuring that citizens directly benefit from the nation’s growing wealth.