Labour Department revitalises cooperative societies after survey

DPI/GINA, GUYANA, Friday, June 2, 2017

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection Keith Scott told DPI/GINA that the efforts over the past two years to revitalise cooperatives in several regions has improved the number of co-operatives.

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection. Hon. Keith Scott

Minister Scott disclosed the Department of Labour conducted a survey on cooperative societies in some several regions to find out the strength and weaknesses of their operations. He explained that they placed a task force in regions to conduct the surveys.

Minister Scott said that in Regions Two (2), Three (3), Four (4) and some parts of Five (5) were the areas selected where the survey was carried out.

“I can tell you right off that our survey revealed that we have on record one thousand two hundred and sixty eight (1268) cooperatives throughout the regions and that almost most of them are active,” Minister Scott explained.

Minister Scott noted that while conducting the survey the department found that some cooperatives were used for money laundering.

“What we also discovered that (some of) the cooperative societies in the past were used as one of the key areas of money laundering and the society does not know that but this is where the Financial Intelligence Unit came in and now we are working together,” Minister Scott revealed.

The minister noted that since the findings, cooperatives were asked to while registering their cooperatives, to provide a recent police clearance and they have to pass the examination of the Finical Intelligence Unit as well, which was not a requirement in the past. “Now we are on to it and we are widely encouraging the growth of the coop movement, then at the same time making sure that the country on the right foot,” Minister Scott said.

Some of the issues with the cooperatives which took a long time to be resolved are those which were   inherited from the previous administration, Minister Scott explained. He also  highlighted that all of these issues are being addressed in the best interest of the cooperatives.

 

By Delon Sancho

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