The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

SOCIAL Services Minister Frankie Campbell yesterday hit out at recent comments made by opposition leader Phillip “Brave” Davis over the government’s decision to end its unemployment assistance programme in September.

Mr Campbell said the Minnis administration has shown throughout the pandemic that it will continue to adapt to changing situations and help those who need help.

Last week, State Minister of Finance Kwasi Thompson revealed the government has budgeted for the extension of unemployment benefits until September.

He explained officials are now shifting their focus and trying to find ways to create employment instead of continuing to fund its COVID relief initiatives.

However, Mr Davis told a local daily he didn’t believe the Minnis administration should bring its unemployment assistance programme to an end given the current economic climate and said he was of the view that the initiative should be constantly assessed instead.

Responding to the remarks yesterday, Mr Campbell told reporters: “If Brave Davis and the PLP was paying attention, they would’ve seen what we said earlier, we had dates that were set and on arrival of those dates, we revisited, we reassessed and we made some adjustments so if he was paying attention, he would know that our track record is such that we will adjust as necessary.”

According to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, $118m has been spent in government funded unemployment assistance since the pandemic, including direct cash for unemployed and self-employed Bahamians.

Those still needing assistance when the programme ends come September will be helped by the Ministry of Social Services, Financial Secretary Marlon Johnson told reporters last week.

He said: “If come September those persons are still unemployed, the plan is to transition them off to a Social Services programme.”

Asked if his ministry is prepared to possibly deal with an influx of clients when the time comes, Mr Campbell said officials will adapt as necessary and overcome whatever obstacle that may come their way.

“This situation has been fluid from the beginning and so we would’ve set dates and on arrival at those dates, we would’ve seen the necessity to review and we did and so that is always a moving target on the need if it continues to exist,” he told reporters before Cabinet.

“As it relates to transitioning any additional service to the ministry and to the Department of Social Services, one of the characteristics of living things is adaptation. We’ll adapt. We’ll overcome and we’ll continue to serve our clients.”

Yesterday, Mr Campbell also hailed the launch of the Ministry of Social Services’ processing management information system, ProMIS, which officially went live in New Providence yesterday.

The programme is expected to be launched on the remaining islands on or before July, according to Mr Campbell.

The system allows Bahamians seeking social assistance to make applications for various programmes electronically.

“We have launched our much-anticipated management information system ProMIS,” Mr Campbell said.

“ProMIS is a platform that will position our clients one click away from food assistance, burial assistance, rental assistance and all of the other assistance that we give at the Department of Social Services.

“I must say that technology is such that things happen. We will not today have that one click away ability, however all of our clients from today on will be entered in the platform… I want to add that ProMIS is not just a digital platform. It is also a philosophy. The philosophy of ProMIS is to give prompt, effective and efficient service.”