MPs approve $40 billion to resume $100,000 cash grant distribution but questions over process persist

Members of Parliament, sitting in the Committee of Supply, on Monday approved a substantial $40 billion to continue the distribution of $100,000 cash grants to eligible Guyanese citizens.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips confirmed that the paused process would resume shortly following the approval of Budget 2025.

During Monday’s Committee of Supply discussions, the Prime Minister defended the allocation, assuring MPs that the government remains committed to ensuring all eligible citizens receive the grant.

He came up against a barrage of questions from the opposition benches.

Of the $40 billion, $30 billion will fund grants for an additional 300,000 citizens aged 18 and over. Approximately 121,000 Guyanese have already received their payments, with distribution expected to progress quickly once the budget is approved.

“We will make every effort to disburse the remaining funds as promptly as possible,” Prime Minister Phillips stated, addressing concerns raised by the opposition.

The distribution process has been expanded to improve efficiency, with more sites being added to ensure that fewer people need to gather at any one location.

Schools, community centres, and staff from other ministries are now being utilised in the effort, which the Prime Minister noted has proven effective.

“This is an ongoing process…We are in every region of Guyana and there is a schedule where we advertise before we go,” he stated.

Furthermore, the government is committed to ensuring transparency, with systems in place to guarantee accountability. By the end of the initiative, roughly $60 billion will have been distributed directly to around 600,000 adults.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has also stressed that this cash grant is not a one-off measure, but part of a broader initiative to distribute the nation’s wealth through various support programmes.