President Irfaan Ali yesterday announced a revision to his previously proposed cash grant incentive, stating that instead of the previously planned $200,000 per household, each adult citizen of Guyana aged 18 and above will now receive a one-off cash grant of $100,000. Eligibility will be confirmed by presenting either a national identification card or a valid Guyanese passport.
The President made this announcement via a live broadcast across radio, television, and online platforms. He explained, “Instead of the one-off cash grant of $200,000 per household, my government will provide a one-off cash grant of $100,000 to every adult citizen who has attained the age of 18 by 1st January 2024, with the verification process involving a valid national identification or Guyanese passport.”
President Ali, in his address clarified that the initial cash grant proposal, part of a series of measures intended to increase disposable income and create opportunities for all Guyanese, was revised following feedback. The measures initially included the $200,000 per household grant, which raised concerns about its implementation.”As always, our aim is to ensure ease of implementation, reduce barriers to access, and simplify administrative procedures,” the President stated. “In this case, pre- and post-implementation analyses are vital to ensure maximum impact and efficiency.”
According to President Ali, “After reviewing the situation, I instructed that the measure be reconsidered with key principles in mind: reducing the administrative burden, simplifying the process for citizens, improving verification ease, minimising conflicts, ensuring transparency, and expanding the benefit,” Ali noted.
The revised measure is expected to significantly increase the $60 billion allocation initially set aside for the cash grant programme.
