Last Updated on November 29, 2022, 10:40 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The re-registration procedure for the Poverty Alleviation Programme started in St Kitts and Nevis. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for social development, Geoffery Hanley, has invited the people to register their names to get the benefits of the social security programme.
Dr Hanley further updated the citizens that Applications for the Poverty Alleviation Program (PAP) can be made via the online application form, available at the website pap.gov.kn.
Further, he added that the Community Registration process is also in progress to assist people in completing the online application at specific sites.
In this way, people who are uncomfortable with technology, those who have limited to no internet connectivity or no devices to register, can visit the registration sites across the Federation.
Dr Geoffery Hanley provided the schedule for the next three weeks of community registration, stating that the Victoria Road Office remains available from 9 am to 6 pm each working day.
Making these announcements, Dr Geoffery Hanley addressed the nation on Sunday, November 27, 2022. The address aimed to provide the people with a full report on the Poverty Alleviation Program. He also talked about the government’s next steps regarding social security.
The Minister responsible for the Ministry of social development, Dr Geoffery Hanley, revealed several worrisome statistics regarding the PAP. He said that the monetary value of PAP and its expanded version for Covid-19 was three million, four hundred and eighty thousand dollars ($3,480,000).
This amount is payable to the 6,960 regular PAP beneficiaries and a total of two hundred and fifty four thousand and five hundred dollars ($254,500) to the Poverty Alleviation Programme as expanded for Covid 509 beneficiaries.
These numbers equalled a total payout of three million, seven hundred and thirty-four thousand, five hundred dollars ($3,734,500).
Dr Geoffery Hanley also stated why these figures are worrisome.
First, according to the 2011 National Census, the Federation has 17,291 households: divided between St Kitts (they have) 13,078 and Nevis with 4,213. If one looks at the beneficiary total, the results of the PAP will infer that 43% of the households in St Kitts and Nevis earn less than $3,000 a month.
Further, the annual budgetary allocation for the Poverty Alleviation Program is thirty-two million, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. As of July 31, 2022, the Program had spent 26,121,500 dollars. The remaining balance left with the government for the remaining five months of the year was $6,128,500.
Finally, there is a public outcry that this Program only benefits some eligible households despite the number of payees receiving the programme’s benefits.
The Minister responsible for social development, Geoffery Hanley then confessed that it was evident from these numbers that continuing the Poverty Alleviation Program as is, was not financially prudent to do.
Thus, the government and Dr Hanley’s Ministry changed the programme. These corrective actions included:
- Stopping the payments of PAP to government employees with salaries of more than $3,000.
- Temporarily cease any payment to an account which did not have a valid or verifiable Social Security number. (This practice remains in effect up to the present.)
Now, the Ministry of Sustainable Development has started the procedure of re-registration of the beneficiaries. The procedure started on Monday, November 28, 2022, and will go on for three weeks till December 16, 2022.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
