Government to Spend $4 Billion to Protect the Most Vulnerable

Government will spend over $4 billion for the protection of the most vulnerable groups, during the 2014/15 Financial Year.

This will include Programme for Advancement through Health and Education (PATH) beneficiaries, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and the unemployed.

Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, informed that $73 million of this amount will be spent on Phase II of the Short Term Poverty Intervention Programme.

He made the announcement while delivering the Throne Speech at the State opening of the 2014/15 Parliamentary Year, at Gordon House, today (April 3), under the  theme: ‘Going for Growth: Creating Opportunities’.

The Poverty Intervention Programme, Phase I of which was implemented in 2013, aims to ease the financial burden on the country’s poorest.

The $4 billion allocation is in line with provisions made by the Government in 2013/14, which saw the provision of benefits, such as cash transfers, and interventions geared toward developing human capital in the poorest and most vulnerable groups in the society.

This move is in keeping with the Government’s strategic priorities, which are aimed at enhancing social protection for the most vulnerable and providing educational advancement for all citizens.

In the meantime, the Governor-General said the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) will move into high gear during the 2014/15 fiscal year, with a focus on community and labour-intensive projects throughout the country.

He advised that special preference will be given to small contractors, registered by the National Contracts Commission (NCC) as Grades 3 and 4.