Published 12 October 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Poverty Alleviation Programme: $500 monthly support pay out starts in November, advises PM Harris
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, October 12, 2018 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, has announced that pay outs of the highly anticipated $500 monthly support through Team Unity Administration’s Poverty Alleviation Programme will begin next month, November.
Prime Minister Harris made the announcement on Friday October 12 while a guest on the People’s Voice Programme on Sugar City 90.3 FM hosted by His Excellency Ambassador Michael Powell, during the launch of the radio programme’s website. Ambassador Powell who announced that the show was streaming live on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter, asked the Prime Minister to give an update on the Poverty Alleviation Programme.
In reply Prime Minister Harris told the listening and viewing public, and the Nation in general, that the programme and in particular the $500 monthly support was progressing on well, and was nearing completion.
“My expectation is that by next month we should be able to start the actual pay out to those who are qualified,” said Dr Harris. “We have completed the collection of data and the relevant people at the Statistics Department and Social Development are doing the necessary verifications, to ensure that the programme is not being exploited – to ensure that only those who genuinely qualified are in fact on the roll for the pay out of these monies.”
The Honourable Prime Minister reminded the listening and viewing public that during his last Press Conference on Thursday October 4, that Mrs Gaile Grey-Phillip (Senior Director Department of Statistics in the Ministry of Sustainable Development) had advised that they are now entering data and were trying to get some missing data from about 700 persons who had not brought back their payslips for verification.
The Prime Minister advised that the view given to him was that before the end of this month, October, his administration will be able to come back to say that of all the thousands of persons who have applied, that a particular number would have satisfied the criteria that was established. The Administration would as result, come the month of November, begin to pay persons as promised the $500 monthly top up.
The listening and viewing public was advised that the Poverty Alleviation Programme is a significant programme as it is the first time in the history of the country that any government has responded that way. The Prime Minister’s advised those qualifying to use the resources wisely – to buy food, and not alcohol or rum, or other things that are not critical.
“We would want you to ensure that for example you pay your lights bill,” advised Dr Harris. “If you are getting $500 a month nobody at all in St. Kitts then should allow their lights to be cut going forward, because $500 could more than pay for your electricity and your water, and give something towards your rent so that the quality of life for everybody and in particular the poor of St. Kitts and Nevis would be enhanced by this initiative.”
ENDS
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Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris congratulates His Excellency Ambassador Michael Powell at the end of People’s Voice show on Sugar City FM 90.3 in Greenlands.
