Small Businesses to Receive Assistance

Some 250 small businesspersons in South Manchester, who have been severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl, are to receive support to restart their businesses.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie made the disclosure during a tour of several communities in the area on Friday (July 12).

“Persons whose small businesses were destroyed by the hurricane, the SDC (Social Development Commission) will shortly commence the investigations of those persons and will be providing grants of substantial nature to restart their businesses, and get them back on track,” Mr. McKenzie said.

The Minister further noted that the devastation seen in communities such as Alligator Pond were “quite telling”, while adding that most roofs had no reinforcement.

He informed that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), has been advised to ensure that going forward, provisions are made for hurricane straps.

“As part of the toolkit that will be provided across the country, we are going to be making hurricane straps an important component of our messaging, and we are to be providing persons involved in the process of reconstruction of their homes and business places with the straps,” he said.

The Minister further stated that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security will be provided with 200 persons from the Youth Summer Employment Programme (YSEP), to “beef up” the hurricane relief efforts.

In addition, the Municipal Corporations will join in the relief response, with their YSEP intakes.

In the meantime, Minister McKenzie said that with the hurricane season underway, persons should always be conscious of what disasters can do, and what it has already done to dislocate communities from normal life.

He also underscored that care must be taken when building houses, as Jamaica is hurricane prone.

During the tour, several relief supplies were provided to affected families.