–misquotes Vice-President Jagdeo to give the impression that exercise won’t start before Christmas
–entire distribution exercise could take the maximum of five months to meticulously safeguard taxpayers’ money
Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo’s remarks on the timeline and distribution process for the $200,000 cash grant initiative were misrepresented by the Kaieteur News, which has reported fake news once again.
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Thursday, announced that the $200,000 cash grant is part of the government’s broader strategy to improve the quality of life for citizens, injecting $60 billion of new disposable income into households across the country.
The initiative is designed to provide immediate relief and is a testament to the government’s proactive measures to address the economic needs of all Guyanese households.
In a recent interview, Vice-President Jagdeo, expounding on the initiative,
emphasised the importance of establishing a robust system to ensure the grant is properly and equitably distributed.
He highlighted that while the government is working expeditiously, such large-scale initiatives require careful planning to avoid potential mishaps.
“We want to get the system in place. So, I anticipate that within the next five months we would complete the [distribution] process,” Jagdeo explained.
This timeline is crucial for ensuring that every eligible household receives the grant without the risk of fraud or system flaws.
The Vice-President made it clear that although the process might take up to five months, efforts are being made to ensure it could be completed faster.
He stressed that the exercise is being done meticulously to safeguard taxpayers’ money and to prevent abuse of the system, while also ensuring no household is left out.
Contrary to these clear statements, Kaieteur News misreported that the government would not be ready to distribute the grant before Christmas, even falsely quoting Jagdeo as saying, “In five months’ time, we will be ready to distribute.”
This distortion of his statement is not only misleading but also an act of mischief aimed at creating uncertainty.
The Vice-President outlined the maximum period that the process might take, assuring that all households would receive the grant in due course.
“So it will take about, the whole exercise should take, on the outside– it could happen faster– but on the outer limit, it will take about five month. But everyone will get it. It’s not as though they wouldn’t get it, but we have to do it properly and that is what we are trying to devise a system so that every eligible household can get it and that they are not left out because of a flawed system,” Jagdeo said.
He further explained that the Audit Office will play a central role in verifying the distribution to ensure accountability, and a team will be dedicated to overseeing the process.
“We’d have to put in place in finance [Ministry of Finance], a team that is dedicated towards this, to the verification and payment of the resources. The bulk of the payment will happen by cheques except for the hinterland where another method might be used,” Jagdeo said.
It is evident that Kaieteur News’ report was not only inaccurate but also irresponsible, as it undermined the government’s commitment to transparency and efficiency in rolling out this vital initiative.
The publication, earlier this year, had to apologise to the government and the GPL for false publication. And, on several occasions, Jagdeo has had reason to call out the Kaieteur News for its frequent “distortion” of facts.
