— United Nations Development Programme report

A UNITED Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report on the impact of COVID-19 on Guyanese households has found that although household expenditure remained somewhat normal, income has been reduced significantly, especially among female-led households.
The socio-economic impact assessment report was prepared in collaboration with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and the data was collected via telephone and face-to-face interviews using a sample of 1,500 households across the country.
One in every five persons reportedly lost income as a result of the pandemic.

Additionally, approximately 69 per cent of the respondents reported that they had no alternative sources of income and would prefer cash as their primary form of assistance. That report also noted that around 52 per cent of the households interviewed said that they were forced to use up their savings and with regards to purchasing food, some 37 per cent of the respondents resorted to buying cheaper, less preferred brands, while some 25 per cent said they started growing their own vegetables.
Apart from the loss of income, 35 per cent of respondents suggested that they would place proper Internet access among their priority areas of need.

GUIDE 
Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, said the Government of Guyana will use the socio-economic impact assessment report as a guide in future projects.
The Prime Minister, who received the document in his office Tuesday during a simple handing over ceremony, said the government recognises the importance of sound, scientific data for informed decision-making and acknowledged that the data in the report reinforces the importance of its COVID-19 relief measures.
“We now have data which demonstrates the extent of income reduction at the household level and reinforces the importance of our government’s COVID-19 relief programmes, such as the $25,000 cash grant and the distribution of food and sanitation hampers,” he said.
He added that as the government continues to work with partners, such as the UNDP, to restore the country’s economy and social systems, “this socio-economic impact assessment will inform project and programme design, planning and implementation across all sectors, so that resources will reach to the people most in need”.

VERY USEFUL
UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Mikiko Tanaka, who attended virtually, said she agrees that the data in the report will be very useful for Guyana, especially in the long-term.
“I believe that it is really important that we have this evidence for Guyana that would help to adjust the response and a lot of nuances that can be looked into and drawn from in the recovery strategy and also the longer-term development agenda that this new government has launched.”
Deputy Regional Director in the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, Linda Maguire, and Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme, Jairo Valverde, among other international representatives were also virtually present for the ceremony.
Several representatives of the UNDP and CDC, including Operations Coordinator UNDP Guyana, Navindra Persaud, and CDC Director-General, Lieutenant Colonel, Kester Craig were in the Prime Minister’s Office for the ceremony.