Ministry of Finance dispels misinformation on 100k cash grant

The Ministry of Finance has taken note of specious and baseless claims by some people in the public domain that dead people were registered for the 100,000 Government of Guyana cash grant that is currently being implemented in regions of the country.

The Ministry would like to assure the public that the cash grant system was designed with several layers of controls to eliminate the possibility of a dead person being processed and provided with a cash grant. For example, eligible citizens desirous of applying for the grant must physically present themselves both at the time of registration and uplifting the cash grant. This measure is specifically intended to ensure that only people who are eligible, alive, and physically present for the registration are processed.

A high-level technical team that is comprised of IT specialists, auditors, statisticians, and accountants scrutinizes these records to ensure that the eligibility criteria are satisfied. These include verification that the registrant submitted a valid ID card or passport, the person is 18 years or older as of January 1, 2025, and a picture is taken of each registrant. Any eligible citizens who fail to comply with these criteria are placed under query and not processed.

There are also controls in place when cheques are distributed. The beneficiaries, for instance, must present themselves with either a valid ID or Passport to collect their payments. At this point, the officers distributing the cheques must take a picture of the beneficiary and compare the person’s image with his/her picture on the signature sheet before handing over the payment.

Since the beneficiaries would have to encash their cheques at a bank, where similar scrutiny will take place before actual cash is received, this measure would also prevent payment to any dead person.

Additionally, the Internal Auditors of the Ministry of Finance and Audit Office of Guyana are monitoring the implementation of this initiative in real-time, at the various centers where the cheques are distributed as well as virtually.

It would be criminal for anyone to accept payment for which he/she is not eligible. Despite the robust measures outlined above, however, should anyone have information to suggest that there is any instance of, or attempt to process payment of the cash grant for a dead or otherwise ineligible person, the matter should be reported immediately to the police for a criminal investigation and legal action.