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By: Travis Chase | HGPTV Nightly News | As Guyanese prepare to benefit from the government’s year-end cash grant initiative, Vice President and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo has clarified that having a bank account will not be mandatory to receive the grant. Speaking at his Thursday press conference, Jagdeo sought to clarify confusion surrounding President Irfaan Ali’s recent call for citizens to open bank accounts ahead of the distribution of cash transfers. “Nobody will be denied… obsessing over this issue,” the Vice President stated, dismissing concerns that those without bank accounts could be excluded from the programme. Jagdeo explained that the Government will establish financial hubs across several regions, particularly in remote and hinterland areas, to ensure that every citizen has access to the grant. “You can’t have a bank in every community — you can’t have one in Aishalton, for example — so we’re setting up financial hubs and systems to make sure people can still access their funds,” he explained. He further assured that the distribution model will draw lessons from previous cash grant programmes, improving coordination and efficiency to ensure smoother delivery nationwide. “In some of the remote areas, we’ll have all sorts of arrangements in place to make sure everyone gets their payment,” Jagdeo added. Earlier this week, President Irfaan Ali announced that his administration will roll out a series of initiatives before the end of the year — not only cash grants, but also programs aimed at empowering every Guyanese, including persons living with disabilities, the elderly, children, small business owners, and farmers. “When the President urged people to open accounts, it was simply to make it easier to get your money and stuff like that,” Jagdeo clarified. The upcoming package, expected to be announced before December 2025, is part of the Government’s broader effort to promote financial inclusion, social welfare, and national economic participation.
