Residents of the Potaro-Siparuni Region are the latest beneficiaries of the Government of Guyana’s $25,000 per household COVID-19 relief cash grant initiative.
Some 127 households in Micobie, Lower Potaro River as well as some 210 households in Kurukabaru, a remote village located in Pakaraima Mountains, received the money.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, who also has parliamentary responsibility for Region Eight, was part of the team conducting the distribution exercise in Micobie and Kurukabaru.
She explained that the initiative, which was announced by the President Dr Irfaan Ali last month, is aimed at providing assistance to families who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister Sukhai contended that while many are of the opinion that the grant is not sufficient, persons must understand that the PPP/C Government is merely two-months-old and was able to provide both financial and other assistance to residents.
“The cash grant is one per household because as you know we have the entire country to look after. We know that some families are big and in some cases more than one family is living in a household, however, where this situation exists we will make note of it so that it can be taken into consideration in the future,” Minister Sukhai said.
The Amerindian Affairs Minister noted that the Government has been working tirelessly over the last two months to ensure the citizens, especially those residing in the hinterland regions, have access to resources that will limit their movements to other villages and neighboring countries.
When the administration took office in August, it immediately distributed food hampers to all the families in Kurukabaru and surrounding villages Kanapang and Itabac, and Paramakatoi.
