The announcement of a major increase in the monetary allocation towards the augmentation of the Ministry of Equity’s Social Protection Programs is emblematic of government’s commitment to provide additional support to vulnerable individuals and groups within society.
The monetary allocation was increased from 20 million dollars to 25.9 million, an increase of almost 6 million dollars. The groundbreaking announcement was made by Prime Minister Hon. Phillip J. Pierre in his 2023-2024 Budget Address.
“The government is mindful that the upturn in economic activity may not have been felt by the vulnerable, therefore the government will increase the Public Assistance Budget by 5 million to 25.9 million for the year 2023. This figure will represent the highest figure allocated for those most in need,” noted Prime Minster Pierre.
According to Minister for Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment Hon. Joachim Henry, given the scope and significance of this allocation in assisting the vulnerable, it is extremely important that the right population segments be targeted. The increased Public Assistance allocation will support the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen social interventions and to deliver a comprehensive range of services to meet the needs of those most vulnerable.
“As we move towards this new financial year, we will continue to rationalize social programs and ensure that social assistance is given to those most in need. We must also strengthen social intervention programs, effectively supporting youth at risk and vulnerable households,” exclaimed Minister Henry.
Investments in social protection has been shown to return significant benefits to society in various forms including reduction in levels of income inequality and poverty both in the short and the long term as well as improvement in human capital resilience.
Photo: Media Stock
