The Opposition PPP/C has called for more money for the Child Care and Protection Agency saying such a move would have its full support.
Some $18.2 billion has been allocated in the 2019 Budget for the Ministry of Social Protection, and of that amount, $685 million goes towards a series of childcare and protection initiatives. But Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira says that the Agency itself does not see an adequate percentage and she believes that it needs more.
The entire budgeted sum was approved and programmes will begin rolling out from January 1st 2019.
“It is unfortunate Madam Minister and I do believe your heart is in the right place; but we are concerned about the Child Care (and) Protection Agency. Each year (it is) not receiving adequate funds and resources to carry out its mandate effectively,” Teixeira said on Thursday during the consideration of the estimates for the Ministry of Social Protection. She was at the time directing her party’s posture to government Chief Whip and Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally.
“I am going to extend to you Madam Minister and am saying to you Madam Minister that you have the total support of this side of the House to be able to bring a budget that will allow this organisation to perform effectively,” she added.
Meantime, under line item 6321, which deals with subsidies and contributions to local organisations, the 2019 Budget sets aside $27.8M.
Quizzed on how the money is divided among agencies, Ally informed that two would get the bulk of those funding. The Together in Peace (TIP) organisation, which Ally said was registered in 2015, would get $10M of the allocations.
“When one looks at 6321; contribution for local organisations that would receive money, and go through the list, two would alone receive $24M of the $77.8M. This leaves a number of the others only $200,000 each. These are all orphanages that is home for our children who are homeless or without parents,” Teixeira observed.
She asked that when budgets are being planned, that there is a slightly more equitable plan in the “distribution of the $27.8M, particularly where it concerns homes for abused children and orphanages that have been around for a long time”.
Ally was asked the name of one of the organisations that would receive $10M in allocations and why that organisation was getting so much more than others.
The minister explained that the organisation needed the funds as it works in the fight against Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and provides safe homes for the victims.
“Mr Chairman, this is a very important body because they house the TIP victims and as you know, we have been doing extremely well in that area, we have moved from tier two to tier one and we are trying our best to facilitate or to do all in our powers to maintain that rank,” she said.
She told the Committee that she has listened to Teixeira’s concerns and they were “duly noted.”
Addressing the pledge by Teixeira that her party will support more funds for the Childcare agency, Ally responded, “We seem to be having some good suggestions coming from the other side of the House and I am very happy and I want to let the honourable member know that sometimes you do only depend on government funding and maybe the Opposition can chip in at this stage.”
Meanwhile, Ally informed that $13.2B was allocated for the distribution of the old age pension, which would see some 54,000 pensioners collecting $20,500 each although she was quick to point out that “every day persons are getting old” and thus, the number is expected to increase over the course of next year.
Another $1.2B was allocated to provide public assistance to 12,000 persons who would each collect $9,000. Pensioners and public assistance beneficiaries are expected to see an increase of $1000 as compared to last year.
And persons in Region Six, East Berbice/Corentyne, have now been included as part of government’s Sustainable Livelihood Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) programme. While no one explained why the Region was excluded in the past, Ally said “Region Six was not left out on this occasion.”
It was opposition member Vindhya Persaud who asked if Region Six would be included as she believes that the area needs the programme, moreso now to cushion the impacts on those sugar workers who have been laid off.
Some $250M was approved for what Ally said would be training and start up for persons in a number of areas. These include poultry rearing, sheep rearing, pig rearing, garment construction, making jams and jellies and block building among others.
A total of 1264 persons from other regions across the country benefited since the programme was launched.
Ally called on the Opposition to help government to mobilise persons to enroll for the programme as she said that the political affiliation of applicants does not matter as government is “willing to approve it.”
Another $10M was allocated for studies to examine the gender inequalities in the education system, with specific emphasis on underachievement of boys.
During her Budget debate presentation last week, Ally told the House that her Ministry has recognised the importance of good social services and therefore has done a lot of work in this area in 2018.
She lauded her government’s ability to increase old age pensions by 55% as well as the increased public assistance since taking office in 2015. Ally did not forget to mention work done on the Palms, the Night Shelter, the Hugo Chavez Centre, as well as the construction of domestic violence centres at Whim and Onderneeming and commencement of construction of a new Drop-in Centre.
