By KYLE WALKINE
Tribune Staff Reporter
kwalkine@tribunemedia.net
SOCIAL Services Minister Melanie Griffin told The Tribune yesterday that while she was surprised by statistics that show an increase in poverty in the Bahamas, she expected it given the recent global recession.
Mrs Griffin said with the increase in population and the recession, conditions have changed, resulting in the increase in poverty.
“Sadly, we expected it,” she said.
“This kind of information is always surprising, but it was expected based on the last several years. It really speaks to what we’ve been experiencing at Social Services itself in trying to provide assistance for our people.”
The minister’s comments came in the wake of news from the Department of Statistics that poverty, since 2001, has risen by 3.5 per cent and that more than 40,000 people within the country live under the poverty line with an annual income of less than $5,000 a year.
The absolute poverty line is $11.64 per day, according to the Department of Statistics’ 2013 Household Expenditure Survey based on socio-economic and demographic information collected from households throughout the country last year.
The minister said she anticipates poverty levels to drop with employment increasing and better fiscal measures being put in place by the government.
“The Social Safety Net is a programme designed to change the way we deliver social assistance,” she said, describing one of the ways the government plans to tackle poverty.
“It’s designed to break the cycle of poverty in families. What it is is a conditional cash transfer, which is a sum of funds, not cash, that is given to a family every month in order to assist them in meeting their needs through the course of the month. Now, what it does is consolidate some of our current assistance methods like food and uniform.”
“There is a base amount that goes to the family. Now where the conditions come in, there is a health condition and an education condition. The education condition means that the family has to ensure that the children attend school and where they attend school, if they are having problems they will be placed in remedial classes. Then, of course, there’s the health condition, which means that children must attend healthy lifestyle clinics where they are helped with their diet, etc. So where you have a healthier and more educated family, we believe they stand a better chance at survival.”
The minister also said the implementation of value added tax (VAT) on January 1, 2015 will mostly affect the poor in the Bahamas.
She added that the government may have to look at a way to adjust the new 7.5 per cent tax to better accommodate the poor as well before it takes effect. “The people most affected by VAT will be the persons who are now receiving assistance,” Mrs Griffin said. “So if this means we have to fortify what we are doing, then we will have to do so. But for the most part, the people that will most be affected will be these same people.”
“The people who receive social service assistance now are perceived to be those who are among the poor. So they would be the same persons who would be most affected, I believe, by VAT.”
The statistics released on Tuesday also showed that children under the age of 14 have the highest poverty rate in the Bahamas. Women represent 52 per cent of all poor persons, but have a lower poverty rate than that of men.
Comments
B_I_D___ 10 years, 6 months ago
So wait...is this the last several years of 'GLOBAL RECESSION" that they blamed on FNM mismanagement? Say it isn't so!!
sheeprunner12 10 years, 6 months ago
So its fine to talk about recession in 2014.............. but not when it started back in 2008. Either the PLP politicians this dumb or they think we stupid (many are though as long as the PLP gravy train is in place)............... SMDH
B_I_D___ 10 years, 6 months ago
Oh they know we are that dumb...that is why they are so good at the 'game' of politics!!
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 6 months ago
Everybody knows the recession started May 13 2012.
John 10 years, 6 months ago
Come January 1, the situation will get worse. Those who are living off $11.64 a day now will only have $10.56 to spend after January 1, 2015. Successive governments built a Bahamas that ordinary Bahamians can no longer afford. Then they say they are embarrassed by the shanty towns and the proliferation of beggars around (and thieves) the city.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 6 months ago
So true, John ............................ check the poverty report as proof
mrkeepinthefaith 10 years, 6 months ago
she suprise at the unemployment level,but her government want to raise mp's salaries and build ne government office when so much people suffering and out of jobs,thank god their time in office soon come to a end,hope our dollar dont de value before then'this government is like a chicken running around with its head chopped of,all bahamians need to stop complaining and do the right thing election time,vote them out by a land slide,make sure the dont even have enough votes to be the opposition,this one time i going campaigning,
SP 10 years, 6 months ago
"SOCIAL Services Minister Melanie Griffin told The Tribune yesterday that while she was surprised by statistics that show an increase in poverty in the Bahamas, she expected it given the recent global recession".
If an increase in poverty was expected, what sense did it make to continue the FNM policy of issuing work permits for blue collar workers?
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