The first batch of Saint Lucians involved in the informal sector have begun receiving their much-anticipated payout of $1,500 under the Government Income Support Programme (ISP).
Overseen by the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, and Empowerment, the ceremony, held last December, saw more than 300 ordinary Saint Lucians receiving financial assistance that will help with their economic recovery.
This initiative is regarded by government as a crucial financial helping-hand for many Saint Lucians as they continue to grapple with the challenges posed by the persistent impacts of COVID-19.
Equity Minister Joachim Henry noted that the majority of beneficiaries were ordinary Saint Lucians, farmers and other persons that are part of the informal sector.
“Having a glance at these persons was a great joy for me to see the ordinary individuals that make Saint Lucia what it is,” he declared.
“Sometimes we speak of the formal workers, those working in establishments, but those persons who are earning a living on their own, running micro-businesses, vendors and a whole host of them are very important to the Prime Minister and our government and we care about them so much,” said Henry. “We said to them that $1,500 is not a lot but receiving it at this time of the year is a wonderful gesture for most of them.”
More than 170 of the 300 plus first set of beneficiaries received cheques, while others benefited from direct deposits into their bank accounts.
Commenting on the number of men receiving this latest package of financial aid, Minister Henry seized the occasion to once again appeal to men to be financially prudent and help grow generational wealth.
“I think it’s an area of discussion we need to continue to speak about as we understand that our poverty level has remained the same for so many decades in spite of the growth of the economy,” he explained. “I’ve always said that fathers play a significant role in the creation of generational wealth.”
He noted that while a lot of men received their $1,500 quota, it is necessary for “men to examine closely how they can make that sacrifice together with the mothers of (their) children, so that the next generation actually is a lot stronger and better than this current generation in terms of the creation of wealth.”
In light of the high level of interest from the public, the deadline for submission of completed application forms for the ISP has been extended to January 31, 2024 to accommodate more applicants.
To date, over 3,000 persons have applied to the programme.
According to the ministry spokesperson, in the coming months, more Saint Lucians will receive payouts under the ISP, bringing the total number of recipients to approximately 5, 000.
[To submit an application, interested individuals can visit the government website, www.govt.lc and click on the income support link. The project is financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and administered through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)].