(CNS): More than CI$58.1 million has been added to government’s 2021 budget after a Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday. There were some very significant increases in the budget, including another $28m to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, over $8m more for scholarships and $4m to help support tourism businesses. Tropical Storm Grace also added another $6m to this year’s budget.
Half of that money will be going to help repair homes and the rest to assist farmers, many of whom have lost their fruit-bearing trees which provided the bulk of their earnings. Alongside the massive boost to scholarships, another $3.2m has been added to the education budget for children’s school meals. $2m has also been set aside to buy beachfront land for both public use and access.
Ministers explained the need for the increases and the plans for spending the cash.
Social Development Minister Andre Ebanks said the money for housing repairs would be added to the existing cash because many of those who will need help to rebuild their homes were already waiting for assistance and the storm has made the situation for them worse.
He said that more than 90 homeowners had been waiting as long as 18 months, because the programme was stalled in 2020, to get their properties fixed. Many needed roof repairs even before Grace arrived but now the need was dire.
Ebanks explained that $140,000 was appropriated to pay additional staff at the Needs Assessment Unit who were needed to meet the increased workload to...
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