The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

IN response to frustrations, Social Services and Urban Development Minister Frankie Campbell said his ministry has removed red tape over requests for hurricane relief assistance to help residents on Grand Bahama.

“Having heard the frustrations, the team and I got together to see how best we can reduce frustration and facilitate our clients,” he said in Freeport yesterday.

“We removed some of the bureaucracy that was involved. Prior to this, we would be concerned that landlords have vendor IDs and tax compliance certificates, and business licences. We have removed those effective Friday so that persons operating for less than $100,000 will not have to go through the bureaucracy, and that would facilitate our being able to give requested rental assistance in a more speedy fashion,” the minister explained.

Additionally, in order to facilitate clients, he has asked the team to secure quotes as one less step that clients would have to go through.

“We hope that those measures and those to come will reduce frustration for our staff and clients,” he said.

According to Mr Campbell, it was also decided to separate persons who are seeking assistance relative to hurricane relief to one section, from those seeking regular assistance to another section.

A decision was also made, he said, to have two separate site locations to accommodate residents to reduce the number of persons coming to the ministry’s office in Freeport.

The minister also indicated that the staff will return to normal hours of 9am to 5pm to serve the public. Due to limited office space at the NIB, hours to the public was reduced to 2pm.

Mr Campbell said: “The one main thing that is going to be different, we heard about persons having to queue up from early in the morning only to be told the first 20 will be served. That we will change and persons will be served from 9am to 5pm on a first come first served basis,” he said.

Mr Campbell said the Department of Social Services and its staff were also affected by the hurricane and can also relate to the frustrations being experienced by those affected.

“We could not have been prepared for Dorian,” he said. “There was no handbook for us to follow. This is a fluid situation even at this point, so we continue to entertain suggestions and recommendations as to how best we can improve on what we are doing.”

The ministry’s office in the Sun Plaza was severely affected by storm flooding and had to be temporarily relocated to the National Insurance Building, until repairs were completed.

Last Monday, staff returned to the office. However, there is no office furniture to accommodate them and the many clients seeking assistance. People have to stand while waiting to be served because there are no chairs.

During his visit yesterday, Mr Campbell indicated they will acquire temporary furniture, and a tent to put outside as early as today to accommodate people coming to the department.

“This is our pain as much as it is the pain of those seeking assistance,” he said. “The team here in Grand Bahama are also victims of the hurricane, and so they know of the frustration as they too are suffering the same frustrations.

The minister said officials plan to meet with the IT department so that application forms can be made available online.

Once an application is made online, he said the applicants will be called and told when they must come in to be processed.