The Tribune

By CHESTER ROBARDS

Tribune Senior Reporter

crobards@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of state for finance Michael Halkitis said yesterday that the government is continuing its audit of the former government’s 52-week job readiness and training initiative, despite shutting the programme down.

Mr Halkitis gave his personal view of the programme, though, saying: “When you can help some people get a job, temporary though it is, it’s useful.”

He said while it is unfortunate that the government could not extend the contracts of thousands of people who benefited from the programme, he cited a lack of resources within the government as the reason for terminating the initiative.

“Those who had come on to work in the public sector would have made a contribution and I think that’s positive they gained some knowledge and made a contribution,” he said. “The resources just aren’t there to do it.”

It is not yet clear how many people have already been affected by the government’s decision not to continue the programme, as contract terminations have been staggered.

The programme, which was implemented by the former Free National Movement (FNM) government, placed almost 3,000 people in public and private sector jobs. Recently many of those contracts have been coming to a close.

“The unfortunate thing is we just could not extend it,” said Mr Halkitis. “We wish we could make everyone permanent.”

The initiative was initially slated to cost the government $25 million. However, the cost ballooned to near $50 million as the programme progressed.

Mr Halkitis said the government has not yet completed it’s audit, which he assured was not a “witch hunt,” but a means to “find a way forward.”

FNM chairman Darron Cash told The Tribune yesterday that the 52-week programme was “absolutely” a worthwhile programme and that despite the cost overruns had a “direct impact on people’s lives.”

“They (52-week programme workers) were able to make basic contributions to meeting family needs,” said Mr. Cash.

He said he now awaits the “emergency” programmes the government said it would have in place to curtail the levels of unemployment that could come as a result of not continuing the 52-week programme.

“They said they would put in place other programmes,” Mr Cash said.

“The approach of an FNM government was to make meaningful cut backs in other discretionary areas to enable the government to do things for Bahamians in need. The Christie government doesn’t operate in that mode.”