Revitalising Cooperative Movement in Guyana

by Ayana George

DPI, Guyana, Friday, May 31, 2019

In an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), on Friday, Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott emphasised that the Cooperative Movement in Guyana has successfully worked to transform the lives of Guyanese in the first quarter of the year.

“The Cooperative movement has come a long way and gained the attention of several partners which significantly reduced unemployment in Guyana. The movement is the doorway for new Industries with local and foreign Investors,” Minister Scott reasoned.

The minister further stated that the Co-op allows people to employ several persons at the same time, transforming the country’s economy altogether.

“We want to ensure that everyone gets a piece of the pie and in a few months, we will also work to implement a Schools’ Cooperative movement. Since there was a discovery of millions of dollars that exist among the school’s Thrift Society,” the minister noted.

Members of the Cooperative Movement are presently visiting several schools within the ten administrative regions to effectively introduce Cooperative Movement in schools in the near future.

In the past, the Cooperative Movement in Guyana declined due to Cooperatives not being immune to the economic forces that led to a general and sustained decline in economic activity in Guyana and the loss of skilled Guyanese to outward migration in the 1980’s.

“There are organisations and structures in place, such as the International Cooperative Alliance, that promote the sharing of experiences, of best practices and even of resources,” Minister Scott stated.

Image: Department of Public Information