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Mahdia, Region 8, Guyana — Residents of Mahdia, the capital of Region 8 (Potaro-Siparuni), are voicing outrage over what they claim is the unfair and politically motivated distribution of household grants by the Central Government. The controversy arose following a visit by Vice President and a team of ministers on September 7, 2024, to disburse a grant of GYD 100,000 per household. The process, however, has been heavily criticized for its lack of transparency and alleged favoritism towards supporters of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP).
According to Municipal Councillor Daniel Fraser, the household grant distribution was conducted without proper consultation with the Mahdia Mayor and Town Council (M&TCM). Instead of utilizing a list prepared by the local council, as was done in the nearby Amerindian villages, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs reportedly had a “Compiled List” through Community Support Officers (CSOs) who answer only to the Amerindian Affairs Minister. Fraser argues that this approach “defies the very spirit and the essence of local governance.”
Local residents have expressed concerns that the grant distribution process disproportionately favored families and individuals with ties to the PPP. “Monies intended supposedly, per household at one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) ended up, in several instances, being given to six and seven persons in large households and two and three persons in smaller ones as long as they were friends, families, or favourites of the PPP,” said Fraser. He further alleged that even non-residents, including Brazilian and Venezuelan nationals working in nightclubs owned by PPP executives and businessmen, received grants despite not being on the local list of electors.
Fraser described the problematic distribution process in his own words, claiming that after more than two hours of waiting in line, a staff member informed him that his name was not on the list and advised him to “see the mayor for clarification.” When approached, a minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development reportedly told him, “is only a thousand persons we catered for.”
This situation has further deepened frustration among Mahdia residents, who have also criticized the lack of proper public announcements regarding the grant distribution. Residents reportedly sat for hours in the heat, only to hear what some described as “lopsided diatribe” and “pervasive fulmination” by the Vice President against the administration that had established the municipality in 2018.
The controversy over the household grant distribution has also exacerbated existing tensions between the Central Government and the Mahdia Council. What many consider to be a lack of respect for local decision-making authority has strained local governance. According to Fraser, the government’s actions have “emasculated the authority and dictates of a duly elected council, making it a sham and reducing the office of the Mayor to that of a nursery school child.”
The government’s alleged attempts to control the council by appointing well-known PPP activists to key administrative positions have exacerbated matters. Meanwhile, critical municipal functions such as solid waste management and public health have reportedly been reduced to “a hustle” controlled by “PPP cronies of friends, families, and favourites.”
Adding to the governance challenges is the expiration of the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) in April 2024. The commission has not been reestablished, leaving a vacuum in overseeing municipal affairs. Fraser highlighted that without the LGSC, there is no mechanism to approve appointments or manage disputes within the council, further undermining the council’s ability to function independently.
The residents of Mahdia are now calling for greater transparency and fairness in the distribution of government grants and a return to proper local governance, free from political interference. As the controversy unfolds, the need for a clear and unbiased approach to local governance in Mahdia becomes increasingly apparent.
