Guyana: High Court Rules on Government Funding for IDPADA-G

The High Court of Guyana has issued a ruling regarding the funding of the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly- Guyana (IDPADA-G). The court determined that the government acted improperly by stopping financial support without prior notification to the organization. As a result, the court ordered the government to pay outstanding funds for the months of October, November, and December 2022.

Olive Sampson, the Chief Executive Officer of IDPADA-G, indicated that the organization was receiving approximately GY$18 million before the funding was halted. She emphasized that these funds are necessary for settling existing debts. Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, who presided over the case, noted that while there was no evidence of a legitimate expectation regarding the payment of the subvention, IDPADA-G should have been informed before the funding was discontinued.

Justice George-Wiltshire also pointed out that there was no formal contract between IDPADA-G or its incorporated entity, the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana Inc., and the Guyana government concerning the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent. Consequently, the court refused the orders sought by the applicant, stating that the claims were without merit.

Furthermore, the court ruled that there would be no order as to costs, as the applicant was not the appropriate party to initiate this action. IDPADA-G had approached the court in 2023 to contest the government’s decision to redirect funds to other organizations, arguing that over GYD$500 million disbursed had not adequately reached many African Guyanese.

Source: demerarawaves.com