$16.4 Billion Allocated For Social Support Programmes

The Government will spend $16.4 billion to support the most vulnerable in the society in the new fiscal year beginning on April 1.

Opening the 2021/22 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 9, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, said the Government continues to prioritise social spending across various ministries.

“This Government remains committed to social protection and support of the most vulnerable in our society. That is our goal and mission as we recover faster and stronger,” he noted.

Dr. Clarke said that of the sum allocated for social protection, $14.5 billion will go towards the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), which is the Government’s conditional cash transfer programme targeting vulnerable households within the population.

Providing a breakdown, Dr. Clarke said $8.5 billion is being allocated to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) to support the PATH cash grant, which, prior to this year, was executed under the Ministry’s Capital Budget.

These activities, which were previously implemented under a public investment project supported by loan funds from multilateral institutions, have now been institutionalised within the recurrent operations of the MLSS and are now being solely funded by the Government of Jamaica.

The provision will continue to support persons in vulnerable groups – the elderly, disabled, pregnant and lactating women, and children attending schools – through cash transfers, post-secondary and tertiary education grants, and on-the-job training.

In addition, $6 billion has been allocated under the Ministry of Education Youth and Information (MOEYI) for the PATH School Feeding Programme ($5.6 billion) and the PATH Rural School Transportation Programme ($0.4 billion).

Dr. Clarke said, further, that $1.1 billion has been allocated under the MOEYI to support other student nutrition programmes providing breakfast and cooked lunches.

He noted, as well, that $800 million has been provided under the MLSS to facilitate implementation of a social pension programme for the elderly.

Dr. Clarke told the House that the $16.4 billion on social support is in addition to spending under the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the SERVE Jamaica Programme.