Money voted to shore up social agencies

Government has approved a $28 million supplementary to ensure the country, including its most vulnerable citizens, will be in a better position during the current coronavirus pandemic and the upcoming hurricane season.

The action was taken during an emergency meeting of Parliament this morning.

Speaking before the Standing Finance Committee on the Supplementary Estimates No. 1, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn explained that $10 million would be allocated to the Prime Minister’s Office for the purpose of the Household Survivor Programme; $8.5 million would go to Government’s Procurement Department and $10 million to the Welfare Department.

“It is unusual, certainly, for the House to meet on the first day of any financial year to introduce supplementaries…but we are meeting here on April 1. It is not an April Fool’s joke by any stretch of the imagination, and we are doing so because of the very serious impact with respect to COVID-19 not just globally but certainly on the Barbados economy,” Straughn explained.

“The Chamber is here this morning to bring to reality the start of a number of relief programmes with respect to cash transfers to certain vulnerable households across the country in Barbados and therefore we are here this morning to do that in a very serious way.”

He maintained that Government was working towards controlling the spread of COVID-19 on the island so that “the broader economic fallout” would be kept to a minimum.

Straughn said the Household Survivor Programme was extremely crucial at this time as it would assist those families hardest hit by the pandemic.

“It is critically important at this time that we allow ordinary Barbadians and their households who are truly, truly vulnerable in an environment that is particularly uncertain, that this $10 million under the programme will, for the most part, go to the most vulnerable families across this land to provide grants of $600 per month to allow families to be capable of going to the supermarket, the minimart, the village shop, to be able to procure basic items for their families to be capable of surviving,” the Minister explained.

Straughn said the programme would be closely monitored to determine if more money should be allocated at a later date.

But Opposition Leader Reverend Joseph Atherley questioned why the money was going to the Prime Minister’s Office instead of to one of the many agencies capable of doing the job.

He also enquired as to how those vulnerable families would be selected.

In response, Straughn explained the Office of the Prime Minister had taken the lead as a much more coordinated response was needed.

“The Prime Minister is very, very clear about what is required to be done to support all families right now in the country, therefore this particular programme is intended to be a temporary programme just to deal specifically with COVID-19 over and above those families that would normally engage the suite of social services in the country,” he noted.

Straughn said the money being requested for the Procurement Department was to ensure Government would be able to purchase enough additional food supplies, especially with the hurricane season approaching.

“This is to allow Government to acquire stores of foodstuff to be capable of delivering, as required, for the next few months. We’re also very conscious we are approaching the hurricane season and therefore while we hope this is a very short disruption with respect to the impact of COVID-19 on the global logistics supply, we are ensuring the Government will be capable of ensuring there is a stock of food on island, separate and distinct from what is in the normal distribution network, so that if there is to be any specific disruption we would have critical stores of food,” the Minister said.

Straughn further explained that the Welfare Department was being “topped up” due to an increase in grants being disbursed.

He said it meant the finances to the department would be increased by 40 per cent.

Straughn revealed that over the weekend the Ministry of People Empowerment had delivered care packages to hundreds of families across the country.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb