Local gov't ministry to provide $1M to assist needy in St Catherine

The Ministry of Local Government will be providing $1 million to the Poor Relief Department of the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation to assist needy individuals in the parish.

Portfolio Minister Desmond McKenzie said needy cases will be identified and addressed at the discretion of the department.

“We are doing this to improve the delivery (of service) to the poor and destitute,” the said.

He was addressing yesterday's monthly meeting of the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation in Spanish Town.

During the event, the local government minister also handed over new tablet computers, desktop computers and state-of-the-art printers to the Poor Relief Department.

McKenzie commended poor relief officers on the work they have been doing, noting that with the new equipment, they have now been provided with the tools to carry out their duties more efficiently.

“Gone are the days when poor relief officers need to be (sifting through) a book to get information,” he asserted.

He said the Government is committed to enhancing the lives of the nation’s poor and destitute, and pointed out that the Administration is spending money to build indigent housing, improve infirmaries across the country, and build drop-in centres for persons living on the streets.

The Poor Relief Department was established to relieve poverty and destitution among all members of the society.

The department provides non-institutional as well as institutional care for adults and children.

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