THE Co-operative Department of the Ministry of Labour (MoL) has indicated that there are 1,736 co-operative societies and 1,263 friendly societies registered with them.

The department notes that from January 2024 to present, regional officers have conducted inspections continuously across the country, with 270 inspections carried out in 2024, along with 170 investigations into the functioning of Friendly Societies, with the aim of cancelling those that are defunct.

During this period, it was highlighted that 20 friendly societies were registered by the department for the year, with only 14 co-operative societies formed. The department said this is a result of a restriction in place on the registration of co-operatives.

The department mentioned that despite this setback, several groups, especially in the hinterland, have expressed keen interest in registering as co-operative societies.

Furthermore, auditors were appointed by the department to audit the records of 62 societies. Of those audits, 52 were completed and released with instructions for the societies to hold their Annual General Meetings (AGMs), and election of new committees of management. The department convened a total of 27 AGMs.
Between January and December, 2024, five co-operative societies and six friendly societies were resuscitated. It was reported that efforts to resuscitate others proved futile.

It was stated that many of the societies appeared to be established to access grants or other benefits that were available at that point. It mentioned that land access for housing, farming, rice cultivation, or to get logging concessions in other cases.

In its projection for the year ahead, the Co-operatives Department intends to provide training for staff of the department, with emphasis on the areas of record keeping and anti-money laundering. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) will be approached for assistance in this regard. A qualified auditor will be contracted to provide training in record keeping.

Additionally, the department will be collaborating with other departments within the ministry, to provide training for co-operators within each region of Guyana.

It also intends to work assiduously to resuscitate co-operative societies, especially those agricultural co-operatives that could contribute to the growth of the country.

Alongside these developments, the department related that following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Co-operatives Department of the Ministry of Labour and the Guyana Forestry Commission in March 2024, 10 friendly societies involved in logging have been converted to co-operative societies.

According to information received from the department, the project is funded by the European Union Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade, Voluntary Partnership Agreement (EU FLEGT VPA).

The department stated that the first phase of the project ran from March 2024 to April 2024, resulting in 10 of the friendly societies being converted to co-operative ones.

These societies are: the Aroaima Forest and Agriculture Producers Co-operatives Society Limited; the Upper Berbice Multipurpose Co-operatives Society Limited; Aroaima Mineral Resources and Agriculture Co-operative Society Limited, Hururu Forest and Agriculture Producers Co-operative Society Limited; Vreed-en-Rust to Carolina Agriculture and Loggers Co-operatives Society Limite; Yarrowkabra Sustainable Charcoal Forest and Agri Producers Co-Operatives Society Limited; Caria end Forest and Agriculture Producers Co-operative Society Limited; Canje River Multipurpose Logging Co-operative Society Limited, Aurora Agriculture Producers Logging Co-operative Society Limited and Forty-Seven Miles Multipurpose Co-operatives Society Limited.

Additionally, the second phase of the project commenced in August 2024, and was expected to be completed by December last year. There were 13 societies targeted for conversion during this period, including the Rockstone Community Development Council, Rockstone Loggers Association, the Orealla Loggers Association; the Great Falls Logging Association and the Kaburi Village Loggers Association, among others.

The department intends to continue its work with the Forestry Commission to convert all Friendly Societies that were granted logging concessions, to co-operative societies.

In 2024, the department worked with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to provide assistance to fisheries co-operatives. Thus far, there have been virtual meetings and a visit from personnel of the FAO to conduct a needs-assessment on the ground. The department will be collaborating with the FAO and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to provide assistance for agricultural and fisheries co-operatives in 2025.