THE absence of a bank account will not prevent Guyanese citizens from receiving their cash grant, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday reassured citizens, while highlighting the government’s ongoing efforts to expand digital financial services across the country.

“Nobody will be denied their cash grant because they don’t have a bank account. But it’s good to do that,” he told reporters on Thursday during a press conference.

The Vice-President, who also serves as the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)’s General Secretary, emphasised the importance of FinTech and mobile banking, especially as it relates to serving rural communities.

He also noted that the government is exploring the establishment of central terminals in sub-districts where residents can conduct banking transactions without full-scale bank branches.

At the same time, he cited past challenges: “When we gave cheques in Region One, a lot of people couldn’t even cash their cheques. People became a little dissatisfied because we gave the cheques, but they couldn’t get their money. We then had to work out all sorts of arrangements to make that happen.”

But, he reassured citizens that no citizen will be excluded from receiving cash grants due to banking limitations, particularly in remote areas.

On Wednesday, President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced that his government will unveil a comprehensive package of measures before the end of the year aimed at empowering all categories of Guyanese, including persons living with disabilities, the elderly, women, children, farmers, and small business owners.

The President said the forthcoming initiatives will not only provide direct cash transfers to families, but also focus on broader programmes designed to strengthen social and economic empowerment across the country.

He emphasised that the administration is pursuing a holistic approach that goes beyond immediate financial relief to address the diverse needs of citizens.

Highlighting the government’s ongoing efforts to modernise public services, the President noted that the entire system is being digitised to ensure efficiency and transparency in the distribution of benefits. To this end, he encouraged the public to open bank accounts in preparations of electronic transfers.