Finance ministry hosts second annual One Guyana Cookout Competition

The scent of curry and spices flooded the air of the Ministry of Finance on Main Street, as staff from 11 departments competed in the ministry’s second annual One Guyana Cookout Competition in observance of Arrival Day being celebrated on May 5.

The cookout started promptly at 1:30 pm to the sound of a belna or rolling pin hitting a tawa – a traditional roti-making pan.

This year’s dish of choice was chicken curry and roti which is one of the many dishes brought to the shores of Guyana by our ancestors.

The departments included, Accountant General, National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, Internal Audit, Minister’s Secretariat, Office of Budget, Administration, Finance Secretary, Basic Needs Trust Fund, Project Cycle Management Division, Financial Intelligence Unit and Accounts.

The ministry’s compound was bustling with activity as staff from each team meticulously measured their ingredients and carefully planned their dishes. The teams, comprising no less than five persons, were given two hours to make their dishes.

The judges were Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who is performing the functions of President, Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh pointed out that, “We have the privilege in Guyana of living in a beautiful, diverse tapestry of culture and people, melded and forged into one beautiful Guyanese culture resting on a solid diverse and multicultural foundation.”

He noted that such an event brings out the essential dimensions of Guyanese multiculturalism and unity.

“The Ministry of Finance is proud of its diverse staff… And an event such as this provides an opportunity for staff of every single ethnic background, of every single religious background, of every single geographic background, wherever they come from, wherever their ancestors have come from; an event such as this provides a beautiful opportunity for them to come together and celebrate each other’s culture,” the minister added.

The Minister’s Secretariat won the competition, with Office of Budget coming in second, while Accountant General’s department secured third place,Project Cycle Management Division, fourth and Accounts department, fifth.

Last year, a cook-up competition was held for Emancipation Day and was won by the Basic Needs Trust Fund.