IN an attempt to create a society where citizens do not feel disconnected from those governing them, several ministers yesterday met with members of the public at Square of the Revolution to address individual concerns which directly impact their lives. And this move, according to President David Granger, who addressed the gathering, is one geared towards integrating people into the economic and social sphere of the country, where they feel accommodated by public officials.

“We’re bringing Government to the people by finding out what your needs are and helping you to solve those problems. So this is one of a series of exercises that will be taking place. It will be done in other parts of the country and other times of the year as we go through the next five years” President Granger said.
He explained that the goal of this initiative is to help Guyanese feel a sense of identity and to foster a government which cares about the citizens.
“It is here for you the citizens of Guyana and if we don’t deal with you, who will deal with you? If we don’t look after you, who will look after you? So we will continue these exercises and try to solve problems” the Head of State told the large gathering yesterday.
Present at the outreach too, was Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who revealed that the day’s activity provided an opportunity for members of the public to raise concerns they have, related to the Ministry of the Presidency.
With several departments falling under the Ministry of the Presidency, including Public Service and Citizenship, Harmon noted that officers from those various departments were present to listen to concerns and make decisions and recommendations on the issues raised.
“Since we assumed office, we have had a lot of work to do and so when the public comes to visit us sometimes, we can’t accommodate them because of the way they are dressed. So today the dress code is relaxed so they are allowed to interface with us. Because of the size of the Ministry, it is not possible for us to address the concerns of citizens at the various offices. So we are taking this initiative to more public places” the Minister said.

And according to him, the response from the public had been an encouraging one. In fact, he revealed that persons had availed themselves, one hour before the scheduled start.
While some of the concerns raised include the allocation of house lots, medical issues, and difficulties clearing imported goods at the wharf, Minister Harmon related that issues which are to be addressed by other ministries were also ventilated.
However, he noted that those persons were not turned away, but that the concerns were documented, and the Ministry of the Presidency has committed to making arrangements with the various subject ministers to facilitate meetings with those persons.