The government has allocated more than $51 million in the current budget to assist people of need.
Responding to a Parliamentary Question asked by George Town MLA Lucille Seymour last week, Minster of Health and Human Services Anthony Eden said 77 per cent of his ministry’s operational expenses ‘is budgeted for and spent on assistance to the needy and vulnerable in our society.’
The amount allocated to assist people of need is $51,895,374 for the 2007/08 budget, up from CI$45,545,511 in 2006/07, said Mr. Eden, adding that the amounts included services provided by Children and Family Services; Counselling Services; Probation and Aftercare; the Health Insurance Commission; and the Women’s Resource Centre.
‘Funding for special programmes provided by government companies such as CAYS Foundation and CINICO, as well as the Health Services Authority and non-government organisations, is also included,’ Mr. Eden said.
Ms Seymour was impressed with the answer. ‘It’s awesome to know how much a government spends on the vulnerable in its society,’ she said.
Mr. Eden admitted he was surprised at the figure himself.
‘It was to me quite astounding how much was spent on the needy and vulnerable,’ he said.
‘It’s totally amazing,’ he added. ‘People on the radio station, and calling the radio station, say we don’t take care of our people in need. I would say we are a very charitable government.’
Leader of the Opposition McKeeva Bush asked in a supplemental question how much the administration costs were in providing the assistance, adding that he had heard it could be as much as 60 per cent.
Mr. Eden did not have that information, but he undertook to obtain it.
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