Two former senior employees in the Ministry of People’s Empowerment and Elderly Affairs today admitted to giving the go-ahead for monies to be used to pay a mortgage and host a show.
However, former permanent secretary Janet Phillips and former coordinator of the Poverty Alleviation and Eradication Programme Sonia Hamblin, told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) they believed both instances were deserving of the funds.
The Auditor General’s Report dated 2007 to 2018, said there were disbursements from the fund that did not readily fit the alleviation of poverty model. It named mortgage arrears, a marriage seminar and sponsorship of shows as examples.
Under questioning from Minister of Tourism and International Transport Senator Lisa Cummins, Phillips, who served as permanent secretary in the ministry from 2015 to 2018, said a one-time Mother’s Day show for underprivileged mothers was approved by her by sponsorship.
“I am not aware of the circumstances under which the marriage seminar was approved but I know that there was a show under my tenure that was approved based on the recommendations and assessments done by the persons who would have made the recommendations to me and the thrust of that particular show was that it was for underprivileged mothers who came from dysfunctional families.
“On one day in the year, an organisation that is an NGO would present a list of mothers who they thought were deserving based on their circumstances. They would be treated to a nice Mother’s Day lunch which a lot of underprivileged people probably can’t go to restaurants to enjoy and then based on how they lived in the community and interacted, then one or two of them would have received trophies in their honour and then they actually got to see a show,” Phillips explained.
“Based on the whole ethos of the fund and the fact that we were the Ministry of Social Care when the case came up to me I could not say no because I thought it was a good effort based on what it was about. It was not about a show and people getting dressed up and going to have a sham down bang down party. It was about these persons that were underprivileged getting an opportunity to have a nice Mother’s Day lunch, which we know could run a good few hundred dollars that special Sunday and that was it. Based on the recommendations done and assessment sent to me I would have approved it.”
Meanwhile, Hamblin told the PAC monies were used to pay the mortgage of a female who had been diagnosed with a terminal disease.
She contended that the situation was no different from paying rent for persons using the fund.
“In terms of the mortgage I remember dealing with one, I don’t remember all of the details of the household but I do remember the applicant was ill and unable to work. She had an illness that we might consider to be a terminal illness.
“My understanding within social work is that we’re dealing with people and we’re dealing with a whole person. My understanding of the programme was that we were paying rent, we were doing housing repairs…so it was for the same reason, providing housing, in my opinion, one of the three basic necessities; food, clothing and housing,” Hamblin explained.
“Under the said ministry we had the Welfare Department as well paying rent, monthly rent for clients. I looked at this situation and I said this person has a home, if they can maintain and keep their home then they wouldn’t have to look to pay rent and if they are not working they will not be able to pay rent, so then they end up at the Welfare Department who then pays rent. I thought to myself there was no reason why a fund that can pay rent, can do housing repairs in an extenuating circumstance couldn’t offer some assistance here. It seemed to be catering to the same need and so I would have put a case to the permanent secretary why I think it should be considered.”
Hamblin said she also spoke to the credit union which had undertaken the mortgage and asked for assistance with that particular member but was told no help could be rendered.
She said she was extremely disappointed with the stance taken by that credit union and it was still a “sore point” for her. randybennett@barbadostoday.bb
