ONE of the hallmarks of good governance is the extent to which policy-makers are accessible the people and people to policy-makers. The PPP/C administration has always embraced an open-door approach to governance, one in which ordinary citizens can have easy access to those in positions of power in order to address issues of concern and to arrive at solutions.

This approach to governance has had a long history dating back to the elections of 1947, when Dr. Cheddi Jagan won for the first time a seat as an independent in the colonial-dominated legislative assembly. A young and jubilant Dr. Jagan emphatically declared after the results had been declared that ‘we the people have won’ and vowed to pursue a new approach to governance, one in which ‘parliament will be taken to the people, and people to parliament.’

It is in this context that the outreaches planned by the President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his Cabinet has to be seen and appreciated. From all indications, the government machinery has now been placed in overdrive, as the President and his team of ministers and advisers traverse the length and breadth of the country interfacing with Guyanese from all walks of life. This was all the more apparent during the recent flood situation when the President braved the floodwaters and the difficult terrain on the ground to connect with his people and extended that hand of support and solidarity to those affected. The energy displayed by the President was extraordinary and no doubt played a key role in arriving at on-the -spot solutions to problems.

In the same vein, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh and other senior management staff met recently with members of the public to discuss matters of concern to them in relation to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). According to media reports, the meetings were very productive and several festering issues were examined and promptly dealt with.

It is common knowledge that a significant number of contributors to the scheme have, from time to time, expressed concerns regarding long delays in the processing of their benefits and entitlements, due to incomplete records of contributions and in some cases missing contribution statements. The scheme was designed to bring financial relief to contributors, especially those in their advancing years and the removal of bottlenecks and undue bureaucracy must be a welcoming gesture for which the minister must be given credit.

Already there has been a significant reduction in the number of outstanding claims over the past months, due to a more aggressive and  proactive approach taken with respect to the management of the Scheme. According to Minister Singh, the number of backlogged cases had been reduced from 14,000 to just around 3000 since the appointment of the new NIS Board last November. One major advance was in terms of the processing of Life Certificates, which could now be verified by way of WhatsApp video calls. One consequence of that innovation was that the number of unprocessed Life Certificates have now been reduced from an average of 3000 to zero!

The benefits of reaching out to people in their various communities cannot be overemphasised. The mere fact of listening to the people’s concerns and putting in place measures to solve problems are satisfying to the populace in their own right. At a more fundamental level, it brings people closer to government and affords them opportunities to become active participants of the decision-making and problem-solving processes. That is what is commonly referred to as ‘grassroots’ democracy, which forms an integral part of the overall governance process.

The days of ‘arm chair generals’ are now over and there is now a symbiotic link between those entrusted with positions of power and the intended beneficiaries of the governance processes. Indeed, citizens participation in decision-making is the bedrock of any democratic society, as it allows for all Guyanese to make use of their talents, skills, ideas and resources to advance the common good.