00:00 With the fourth largest chunk of the budget at just over five billion dollars allocated for 2024
00:06 The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services is reporting an increase in its client base with just over
00:13 153,500 persons in its database
00:17 We are seeing an increase
00:19 Not less as yet, not less as yet, but we're looking forward to having a decrease
00:24 All right, but the reality is even though somebody may be on a grant
00:29 You know, even if some of them get a job, it's only when we investigate we know well, "Oh, you're working now"
00:35 Nobody comes back really to say, "Well, take back the grant. I don't want it anymore."
00:40 All right, so that is part of the areas that we have to tighten our
00:45 investigation where you know, we would have to after you're on a grant for a particular time
00:51 Then we should be able to come and assess you and figure out, realize, well, you're working now and you must have sufficient
00:58 So we can take you off and put on somebody else
01:00 Over the years, the ministry has been plagued with fraud and abuse of the system
01:05 The ministry is currently working on a national register for vulnerable persons
01:10 Which will help better serve the ministry's client base while also tightening up the operational systems
01:17 And this would stop persons like, you know, going to the media and saying that they're vulnerable and in need
01:24 We need to be able to find them also before
01:28 So in developing that register, it's where we would know where they are located, who they are and what are their needs
01:34 And therefore we are doing that in collaboration with
01:38 The UNDP and of course, UWE is assisting us with that
01:43 But the minister notes the ultimate goal is to decrease the number of dependents on the state
01:48 By empowering its clients to be more self-sufficient through a number of initiatives
01:53 The seed initiative, that is an initiative where if you, for example, cannot, you don't have collateral, you can't get a loan in the bank
02:01 You have a small business or you want to start a small business
02:06 Then we provide a grant to you, but of course you must be vulnerable
02:10 All right
02:11 So for example, if you could sew and you wanted to become a seamstress, a designer, but you don't have
02:19 sufficient machines, if you're doing landscaping and you want to buy a wacker and things like that, then we assist
02:25 But as part of the seed program, it's not just about giving them a grant, it's also about training
02:30 So part of giving them the money, I think the ceiling is about $15,000, but it includes training also
02:37 A full listing of the ministry's services is available on its website
02:41 Renassa Cutting, TV6 News
02:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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