Minister of Social Services and Community Development Melanie Griffin says her ministry intends to prevent any abuse of programmes intended to assist the needy.
To this end, the upcoming fiscal year is expected to bring an improvement in targeting systems and the implementation of an objective means testing system as part of the governmentﾒs new policies to fight poverty in the country.
Minister Griffin, who was contributing to debate in the House of Assembly on Wednesday on the 2006/2007 budget, explained that the targeting system will streamline the application process, and apply objective criteria, screening instruments and procedures for approval.
“It will rely on a proxy means test based on data from The Bahamas Living Conditions Survey to construct a scoring formula and establish a cut-off point for eligibility,” Minister Griffin said.
“Households that receive a score below the cut-off point would be eligible for benefits.”
The minister further explained that a key element in the reform process will be a public information and education campaign aimed at assisting persons to better manage their resources.
“In far too many cases, persons with a reasonably good income are applying for assistance simply because they have over extended themselves and live above their means. Such persons have no hesitation in presenting their pay slip in support of their request, which shows deductions to banks, furniture stores and the like,” Minister Griffin said.
“Once these weekly or monthly obligations are met, very little money is left for food, rent and utilities, hence the person then turns to the government to assist with these needs. But the fact of the matter is that such persons do not fall in the category of poor. They are simply bad stewards of their income.”
Turning next to disability affairs, Minister Griffin announced that $120,000 has been allocated in the 2006/2007 budget for needy families of children with special needs under the age of 16.
Eighty-eight children are currently receiving the assistance of $100 a month ﾖ 41 in New Providence, 16 in Abaco, three in Andros, two in Bimini, four each in Eleuthera and Grand Bahama, nine in Exuma, eight in Long Island and one in Crooked Island.
The minister acknowledged that legislation protecting the rights of disabled persons has taken longer than anticipated.
She however vowed that the development of a draft document for public consultation will be made available by October 2006.
The Department of Social Services has been allocated $26.3 million in the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of almost $2.5 million over the 2005/2006 budget.
Slated to receive an increase are children with special needs, Family Island operations and subsistence and support of persons (not by contract).
With regards to disaster preparedness, Minister Griffin told House Members that a team comprising representatives from the Department of Social Services, NEMA, The Bahamas Red Cross, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the ministries of Health and Works and the Salvation Army has completed the inspection of hurricane shelters for New Providence.
The minister indicated that 30 shelters have been identified for this hurricane season which forecasters say will be an active one.
She said with respect to Grand Bahama, 12 shelters have been identified and the list submitted to NEMA.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
