The government supported the initiative and Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh was in attendance to distribute the hampers.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh delivering remarks at the hamper distribution exercise at the Salvation Army headquarters

The finance minister during remarks reiterated the government’s commitment to increasing old-age pension to $40,000 within its first five years in office.

“Speaking as a representative of this government, I will tell you this because I know I can speak on behalf of my president, under the stewardship of President Irfaan Ali, you will be getting more,” he said to loud applause.

Acknowledging that there are several persons having issues with accessing their pension, the minister stated, “My commitment to you is that we will continue to roll out outreaches in order to address as many of the NIS problems, as we possibly can.”

Minister Singh hands over hamper to a pensioner

Dr Singh said the PPP/C Government under the leadership of President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali will work towards improving the welfare of the elderly and persons living with disabilities.

This, he said, is in keeping with the president’s ‘One Guyana’ vision.

The Department of Public Information spoke to some beneficiaries of hampers.

The 700 hampers that were distributed on Monday

Ernestine Rodrigues expressed, “I am very, very much pleased and thank God that we could receive the Christmas hampers, it would do us good and everything, it’s a help to us.”

Donette Fowler added, “I feel so happy and blessed in the name of Jesus. I’m happy that I’m here, my mother was a salvation army, she died years ago and I always want to visit […] it’s a real help to me because I am not working.” (Extracted from the Department of Public Information)

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