–to enhance access to public assistance

THE Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) has expressed appreciation to the Government of Guyana for the announcement regarding the reform of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Board of Guardians.

On Thursday, October 3, 2025, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo made this announcement in his press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Dr. Jagdeo emphasised during his press conference that these reforms are essential to tackle the various reports of exclusion and bias in the approval process for public assistance.

He also mentioned that the reforms will guarantee accessibility and fairness in the process for all eligible applicants.

“As a community, we embrace this announcement with great enthusiasm. For an extended period, numerous individuals with disabilities faced exclusion from public assistance because of arbitrary decisions made by the Board of Guardians, despite the clear visibility of their disabilities. We are glad that the reforms will lead to the development of a criteria-based system with clear metrics, ensuring objectivity in the approval process,” GCOPD said in a press release.

The council added: “We urge the Government to guarantee that an individual with a disability is appointed to each Board of Guardians to ensure that the interests of persons with disabilities are adequately represented.”

GCOPD said it is pleased to embrace this essential reform and committed to contributing to the reform process as it progresses.