Hamilton merging pedagogy with politics

LABOUR Minister Joseph Hamilton has to add pedagogy to politics to help overcome
conceptual confusion among Guyanese about the difference between a cooperative and a
Friendly Society.

“We have people who want to form Friendly Societies but basically (what they have in mind) is
a co-op, and we have to explain to them that a friendly society is a benevolent charitable
organisation. [But] once you are talking about profits…it can’t be a Friendly Society,” Mr.
Hamilton explained in an exclusive with www.aroundtheregions.com.

He also plans to regularise several Credit Unions nationwide functioning for an extended period
under stopgap arrangements.

“We also have to work with Credit Unions as many of them are under interim management, but
we have to ensure that all the issues of transparency and accountability are pivotal,” he said.

Hamilton said the Labour Ministry is unwilling to back Co-op Societies deficient in these key
characteristics and has instructed Chief Co-op Development Officer (CCDO), Ms Perlina Gifth,
to park such Coops.

“I have said it throughout the country that we will not support any Co-op where the membership
ignores accountability and transparency. When people register or they make a request for a
project, whether its funded by Guyana or external sources, they would send the documentation to
the Chief Co-op Officer for her to sign off. My instructions to her are that she must not sign. She
will only sign off on organisations that follow the law,” the Minister emphasised.

He plans to spearhead a national effort by his ministry to sensitise and educate the nation on
what constitutes a Co-op. He declared a group comprising seven families doesn’t constitute a co-
op.

“Co-op is a community vehicle for development and growth. It has to be more than ten persons
of a community, not ten persons of a family, Minister Hamilton emphasised.

He said a review of some Co-ops has revealed contradiction of the Coop society laws.
“A lot of people want to form a co-op, so the husband is the Chairman, his wife is the Vice
Chair, his daughter is on the executive all of that we will straighten it out,” the Minister
promised.

He counselled Guyanese to emulate the Swiss Coop model which he credited for helping to
make that country very wealthy.

“We have short-shrift co-ops in Guyana, and they have gotten a bad name because of bad
experiences. Co-ops can be pivotal vehicles for the development of communities. I would only
hope that people are taking it seriously and they are creating co-ops to benefit their community
and not themselves,” the Minister urged.

He said in some instances, people form co-ops as a short-term exercise for its perceived personal
benefits.

“Some people form a co-op just for a project that they want to get done. After they would
have executed their project, they don’t do anything after. This cannot and will not be
tolerated as transparency and accountability remains the priorities,” Minister Hamilton
said.