An interfaith service was held on Sunday morning to kick start Guyana’s 102nd International Co-operatives Week this year.
The event took place at the Ministry of Labour Tarmac under the theme “Building A Better Future for All.” It included prayers from three religious groups: Hindu, Muslim, and Christian.
In brief remarks, representative of the Guyana National Co-operative Union Ltd, Gillian Burton-Persaud encouraged citizens to unite for the development of Guyana.
“As we embrace cooperative week in Guyana my call to you is let us come together, let us work for the betterment of Guyana, you as cooperatives as a main and important tool in that process. Can we do it, yes, we can,” she emphasised.
Given the country’s diverse population, Persaud encouraged members of the societies to create new and innovative ideas as part of efforts to contribute to Guyana’s economic development.
Chief Co-operatives Development Officer, Janaknauth Panchu
Chief Co-operatives Development Officer, Janaknauth Panchu has acknowledged the need to enhance supervision of cooperative societies across the country.
He noted that the department faces challenges due to a shortage of adequately trained staff to effectively monitor these societies.
Recognising this issue, Panchu said the department has requested that vacant positions be filled, and these vacancies have been recently published by the Public Service Commission with the hope of prompt recruitment.
In addition, under the guidance of the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton and the Chief Labour Officer, the department has sought support from the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO positively responded and will be providing training for department staff from July 2nd to 4th.
Additionally, the department is working closely with the Attorney General’s Chambers to help members of housing cooperatives on the East Coast of Demerara obtain their land titles or transport documents for their house lots.
This aligns with the government’s policy to ensure that all members of housing societies secure yasal ownership of their properties.
The importance of cooperatives was recognised early on, leading to the official naming of the country as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana in 1970.
During that time, numerous cooperative societies were formed to pool resources in various sectors such as farming, agro-processing, consumer goods, marketing, and transportation.
Several institutions were also established in the late 1970s and 1980s to support these cooperative efforts.
The International Co-operatives Week will conclude on July 26, 2024. (DPI)