Ministry to examine direct pension payments in outlying areas
Stabroek News
November 9, 2002
The Human Services Ministry is to examine a request by residents of Black Bush Polder, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) for a system that would allow for direct Old Age Pension payments to their homes.
During a recent visit to Berbice, Minister within the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security Bibi Shadick met with residents who expressed concern that pensioners have to travel long distances to collect their monies in cases where there were no post offices nearby, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
Shadick said her ministry will discuss the matter, but there are factors such as cost and security to be considered in the introduction of a system that would involve transporting a substantial amount of money, GINA reported.
The minister explained to the residents that payments of Old Age Pension were done through the post offices in each area of the country, while direct payments were made only in areas where post offices did not exist, such as Orealla in Region Six.
"It is understandable that pensioners would want to receive direct payments at their homes, but at this point of time, the ministry will have to discuss the matter before it is even introduced," GINA quoted the minister as saying.
Residents also raised the matter of the distribution of school uniforms, and some of them told the minister that the exercise had excluded some children from that area.
This claim, according to the minister, was incorrect. She called for some form of evidence from the persons making the claims and was only given the names of two such persons, GINA stated.
Earlier this year approximately $31.1 million had been allocated to the Ministry for a countrywide school uniform distribution exercise, GINA said.
