…Min Jordan says funds will be used to directly fight COVID-19

THE US$1M grant allocated to Guyana to help in its fight against the deadly Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) will go directly to the Health Sector, in keeping with the Ministry of Public Health’s plan. This was made clear on Sunday by Finance Minister Winston Jordan.

The funding comes through the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF), and is to be used strictly to finance response efforts during COVID-19.

According to the World Bank, this includes, but is not limited to, supporting frontline health workers, sourcing drugs and medicines and essential and critical life-saving medical equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), logistics and supply chain, non-medical equipment, essential life-saving goods, minor civil works (such as setting up temporary care centres), services, transportation, communication and coordination.

Based on the queries of some persons, Minister Jordan said that the US$1M will not be used to purchase hampers, as the World Bank expects that such spending would be undertaken by individual governments.

“We are working with other donors to get monies that we can put together those hampers, or to provide whatever assistance is needed,” he said. “Meanwhile, we will be able to use some of our monies to prepare some of these packages.”

INNOVATIVE AND INDEPENDENT
Even so, the Finance Minister is pleased that many persons have not grown dependent on food hampers, but have found innovative ways to adapt during the crisis.

He also reminded his audience that there are other avenues that the government can go to for assistance such as the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Jordan said that regional agencies such as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) have also allocated funds, which will trickle down to countries in the region in the next month or so.

For example, in April, the European Union (EU) announced the allocation of a US$8.6M grant to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to assist the Region with its fight against COVID-19, and monies are also being sent to countries through the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO).

Jordan said: “We’re not only working with the Bank, we’re working with a number of international institutions. So, we don’t really have to depend on the World Bank to give us the money, because we are working with other international institutions, and since that time, over a month now, the needs of the Ministry of Public Health have become more known.”

Minister Jordan explained that the US$5M requested by Guyana from the World Bank was done under a different Fund, the Rapid Response Facility (REF), but these monies would have also been used for direct public health-related activities.

At the time the government put in this application, there were projections from PAHO/WHO that Guyana could see over 20,000 new cases of COVID-19 by May 5, 2020. Soon, these projections were lowered, and, as it stands, Guyana has only recorded a little over 100 cases.

A CLEARER PICTURE
“All of these things have not materialised that would have required massive infusion of funds. So, we have a clearer picture on the health side, and on the economic side,” the Finance Minister said.

The World Bank also notes that heavier weight or larger sums are given to countries classified as “fragile or conflict-affected”. Over time, the Ministry of Public Health has come to better understand its needs to deal with the pandemic.

Jordan said that he has no time to address the individual comments of naysayers who called for sanctions on the government, or lobbied for Guyana’s requests to go unanswered. He said his concerns are focused on the country’s finances.

“We are the ones who are facing it daily; we know the conditions, and we are making determinations step by step. Others can talk a lot of hot air, because they’re not running a government; it is easy to talk when you’re not in the chair, but once you’re in the chair, it’s a different story altogether. You have to think not only about your supporters, but you have to think about the whole country. So, we have been deliberate in what we do, and we are at the same time making certain that we don’t burden this country with extra debt,” Minister Jordan said.