The Ministry of the Presidency says that it has noted reports published in Friday’s (April 24, 2020) daily newspapers which suggest that foreign partners as well as international financial institutions, are unwilling to provide Guyana with financial aid to combat the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) because the country’s electoral process is incomplete.
That suggestion is inaccurate, the ministry said today.
It was the Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who said during a press conference two days ago, that securing funding from international lending institutions may be difficult given the unsettled electoral process.
He said: “There are a few requests that are being processed, and I believe that also of the political situation in Guyana; while we are in transition to a government that will emerge after the March 2nd 2020 elections, that we cannot for sure say whether some of these international, multilateral lending agencies are going to be dealing with Guyana’s applications anytime soon. They probably would want to sit it out and wait until the president is sworn in.”
More than 50 days have already passed since the electorate cast its votes for the government of its choice. The process has been marred with controversy after the next. The votes are now to be recounted.
The Ministry of the Presidency, however, said that Guyana is not locked out by international lending institutions because of its incomplete electoral process.
“Guyana remains engaged with several of its partners. It was only on Thursday, April 23, 2020 that the United States of America (USA) announced that financial aid to the tune of US$475,000 will be provided to help address Guyana’s priority areas in its fight against COVID-19.
The Ministry wishes to make it clear that no international or financial institution has linked support to the Guyana’s national COVID-19 campaign to the outcome of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections,” the ministry said today.
It added, “No international financial institution has indicated that financial aid has been made conditional upon the completion of the electoral process.”
