Audit of COVID-19 cash grant ‘pink forms’ almost complete -Minister Dharamlall

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Hon. Nigel Dharamlall says the audit of the query forms (pink slips) for the Government’s $25,000 COVID-19 relief cash grant is almost complete.  The form allows for secondary households to also benefit from the grant.

Minister Dharamlall said the Government made provisions for this benefit to reach every household, in an interview on the side-lines of the swearing in ceremony of Mayors and Deputy Mayors on Friday.

“Those households who are the secondary or non-primary households, they will have to fill out a pink form. The Government is in the process of having those forms audited and as soon as that process is complete then resources will be made available to be paid to the secondary households.”

Minister Dharamlall said efforts are being made to ensure primary householders who missed the grant distribution in their neighbourhoods, benefit.

“People have reached out to me where that is concerned and we have tried to get our teams on the ground to go back to those households and get them resolved, but if that is an issue that continues, we will have to get our teams to revisit as much as possible.”

The Minister also noted that there have been other challenges faced by distribution clerks and the Police, especially on the East Coast Demerara. He said some persons have been harassed and accosted. To this end, he is urging the public to desist from these behaviours and to allow the process to flow smoothly.

On September 7, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced that provisions would be made for every household to benefit from the grant to help cushion the effects of the pandemic. Citizens across the country have lauded the President for this measure and have hailed the initiative as timely and necessary.