Dear Editor,
SEVERAL NGOs have been popping up across this country and it would appear as though no one is monitoring them.

This is a festering problem in Guyana that should be addressed by the government, primarily the Ministry of Social Protection which is the oversight ministry for these institutions. The government has a responsibility to ensure that these entities are operating according to the laws of the country and their constitutions. Furthermore, the government should not appoint persons from delinquent NGO’s to government agencies, Inquiries or Boards.

People of questionable character are forming NGOs and going around the world under false pretense, professing to be doing all kinds of good service in Guyana when in reality, no one in Guyana is benefiting from these entities. In some cases they have never been heard of here. Many of these institutions are collecting millions of dollars from members, donors, foreign and local governments, but there is no accounting of how this money is being spent.

Many NGOs in Guyana do not comply with their own Constitution or the Friendly Society Act which governs their operations. Throughout the world NGOs have been running into trouble with the law, several executives have found themselves behind bars being charged with offences ranging from fraud, larceny money laundering, drug dealing and even human trafficking. These institutions handle significant amounts of money and wield a lot of influence in society. Therefore, the government must exercise their oversight authority and keep these institutions in compliance with regulations.

The Government of Guyana should also establish some standards and guidelines when deciding who should sit on a Government Agency Board or a Commission of Inquiry (CoI). We could borrow from other countries and ensure that appointees to all Boards or Commissions are ‘Fit and Proper’.

Regards,
Ms Higgins