By Chantalé Fletcher
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley says payments for Salary Relief and Income Support Grants are ongoing.
Dr Rowley was responding to Chaguanas East Vandana Mohit during the Prime Minister Question segment in the House of Representatives on Friday.
Mohit asked the PM about the present status regarding salary relief and income support grants since the initiation of lockdown.
Dr Rowley said, “Since the situation has developed and arrangements has been made, the Ministry of social Development and Family Services along with the Ministry of Finance have made a lot of provisions and put out invitations to qualified persons to indicate their circumstance and to establish their qualifications for receiving these grants.
“And that matter has gone on full speed ahead and the Ministry of Finance has indicated the actual number of persons at any particular time that had applied and persons who have been treated with, and the process continues for persons who would have qualified between the months of May and June.”
He said the process continued and the details of actual figures and numbers can be heard from the relevant minister with the appropriate notice, he said in response to the Mohit’s question to identify the time frame of payments to recipients.
The PM added that, “Different people will get them in their hands at different times. It’s a process and you’re dealing with tens of thousands of persons.
“Those who qualify early as early applicants will receive it in their hands before, those who have applied most recently.”
He said, “To the best of my knowledge, persons who applied in May have started receiving those grants and those who have applied in June as you have recalled, that persons in the contracting fraternity were added as persons to benefit, and those persons will be receiving it after those persons who applied in May.”
Dr Rowley said that given the arrangements in place, all qualified applicants were expected to be paid well before the end of the year.
