-over 40,000 grants distributed so far

AS distribution of the national COVID-19 household grants continue, approximately 1,900 more packages are expected to be sent to Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
Regional Chairman, Ishan Ayube, told the Guyana Chronicle during a telephone interview, on Monday, that this second tranche of $25,000 grants will be for those households that have to be revisited.
Ayube noted that over 40,000 grants have been distributed in the region thus far during the initial distribution exercise, but a number of persons reached out to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) claiming they did not receive any such grants. As such, the Council has been coordinating with the project’s Regional Coordinator, to ensure the issues are addressed.
“Based upon my understanding, the money was already paid out and these are outstanding names. I’m made to understand that another 1,900 packages are expected to come into the region.

We are still awaiting it to address the persons who say they are not recipients of the packages,” Ayube explained.
The Regional Chairman noted that in cases where persons make claims of not receiving the grant, the region investigates to verify whether the claim is true.
“They’re still taking information about persons that they have to revisit; address, name, telephone number. Most people come into the regional office, or we take it by telephone and then we verify it. They would come in and give us the information, we take it here but we verify it,” Ayube said.

Ayube reminded that only one grant per lot is being allowed at this time. In cases where multiple families live at one location, secondary households would have to wait until provisions are made for those recipients. The secondary household, however, is required to fill out a pink form, and a verification will be done later prior to the issuance of the grant.
“We first have to understand if these people meet the criteria for the first round,” Ayube conveyed, “For example, if I live in the home with my wife, and my son live in the home with his wife, then the package only comes to me, but his name will be on a pink form, to get the package later. A lot of persons may claim that they are not recipient of the package, but they have to full out the pink slip. Those are the fineries that we need to understand of the guideline that govern the distribution of these packages.”

Ayube also noted that the region is only helping to facilitate the distribution exercise by working alongside the committee that is distributing the packages; he made it clear that the RDC is not directly in charge of the distribution exercise. “There are three ministries in charge of ensuring the grant is distributed. In the region, you have a regional coordinator and then we have distributors, which have teams working in a specific geographical location,” Ayube said. Ayube noted that the RDC works within the limits of the procedures set out for the distribution of the grants.