KINGSTON, JAMAICA – May 13, 2020 – The Government’s COVID Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) Programme has received more than 500,000 applications across the available grant types.
Minister of Finance and the Public
Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, made the disclosure while giving an update
in the House of Representatives on May 12.
He said that given the
disproportionately high number of applications for the Compassionate Grant
(over 400,000), processing and payment of these has taken precedence.
Dr. Clarke informed the Lower House
that Compassionate Grant transfers to financial institutions began during the
middle of last week and the funds have been available to applicants since May 7.
He
noted that many persons selected to receive the funds through remittance
companies.
“We
had a total of 401,314 Compassionate Grants, of which 210,267 applications
sought the commercial bank avenue of payment, 162,024 sought to be paid through
remittance agencies, and 29,023 sought to be paid through credit unions/building
societies,” he told the House.
He
said that of the total number of applicants, approximately 378,919 were deemed
eligible and 22,395 or six per cent were determined to be ineligible due to the
fact that they are on a recent payroll.
So far, approximately $2.65 billion
in Compassionate Grant payments for some 265,000 applicants, or 70 per cent of
those eligible, has been made to the financial institutions selected by applicants.
The remainder are being processed, including for the validation of banking
information.
The Finance and the Public Service
Minister said applicants who have received a text message confirming
eligibility and whose bank accounts have been verified can expect the funds to
be sent directly to their account.
More than 106,000 applicants, who
elected to receive Compassionate Grants by way of their bank accounts, have had
their accounts credited.
“Where the bank account information
submitted is not valid, which may arise, for example, if the name on the
account differs from the name on the application, or if the branch is
incorrect, or if the account is dormant, the applicant receives a text message
advising of such and they are invited to correct the banking information or to
select to receive their grant by remittance. Once the updates are completed,
these transfers will be made after revalidating and batching,” Dr. Clarke said.
“Last Friday, May 8, we had 77,000
applicants in this category. As at May 12, that number was reduced to 44,000 as
applicants corrected their banking information,” he noted.
Dr. Clarke is reminding persons
collecting grants through remittance agencies that they are required to present
a government-issued picture identification (ID) card, Tax Registration Number (TRN)
and Application Reference Number.
“Where
an applicant does not have a government-issued ID but is on the printed Voter’s
List, he/she can contact the Electoral Office of Jamaica, which will open their
offices on May 13,” he indicated.
He
is appealing for beneficiaries to follow the guidelines of remittance companies
to ensure an orderly procedure for collection.
He
said that beneficiaries have until June 30 to collect the funds from their
chosen financial institution, “so there is no need to rush”.
Dr.
Clarke noted that arrangements have been made for beneficiaries to collect
payments through remittance companies on the grounds of the National Stadium
and inside the National Arena in order to allow for a more orderly and
comfortable process.
“We will be moving to make similar
arrangements at large open spaces in other parishes, starting with St.
Catherine, where we have a large number of applicants,” he said.
In
addition, Dr. Clarke said the Government is exploring mechanisms for third-party
collection of Compassionate Grants for persons over 65 years old.
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Words are in circulation in support for the establishment of an international tribunal, geared towards seeking reparations for centuries long transatlantic slave trade, after a CARICOM official made calls at the third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) in Geneva, Switzerland.
During day two of the gathering held from April 16 to 19, 2024, David Comissiong, Barbados Ambassador to the Caribbean Community, stated there is a need for the tribunal as there is currently no international court to deal with the issues of reparations.
Commision, like the other members that support his view, according to reports, are aware this won’t be an easy feat, as he expressed that establishing the tribunal would require a “positive decision” by the UN General Assembly, further calling on the officials at the Forum and the UN, to come together through international collaboration and “make this happen.”
The idea creation of the tribunal was born last year 2023, suggested by the PFPAD, now reiterated by Comissiong.
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, in a video, addressing the opening of the forum, supported the ongoing calls for respiratory efforts, a sentiment not shared by many.
Mentioning that racism is still an issue in today’s society, Guterres said, “ now we must build on that momentum, to drive meaningful change by ensuring that people of African descent enjoy the full and equal realization of their human rights; by stepping up efforts to eliminate racism and discrimination, including through reparations.”
The recent attack on the Sate of Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran, has delivered growing uncertainty across the Caribbean region, and the rest of the global economy.
Chief among the many concerns, is the free flow of oil from the Middle East, which stands at 31% of daily production for the global economy. At minimum, shipping costs are likely to increase based on the increased risk of military action in the Persian Gulf.
Pressure is also building on US and European insurance clubs to avoid any transaction, including those with China, that involve Iranian crude and additional rerouting of oil and gas shipments in response to Houthi threats, or Allied responses.
According to the Caribbean Community Council of Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), “these developments not only exacerbate the already tense situation but also pose significant threats to regional stability and international peace,” the group warned in a media statement.
It added that the continued cycle of retaliation, including the recent attack on Israel by Hamas, Israel’s “disproportionate response” in Gaza, and the “alarming new dimension of direct confrontations between Israel and Iran, leads to an untenable situation fraught with potential for greater regional conflict and global instability.
“The human toll of this conflict, highlighted by tragic incidents such as deaths and injuries to children, demand an immediate and empathetic response from the global community. It is imperative that there be no further escalation that can lead to more suffering and instability,” it said.
While calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, the regional body underscored that it strongly urges both nations to halt any further military actions that could worsen the situation, endangering not only their own populations but also the broader international community.
“We implore all parties to consider the severe consequences of further conflict and to commit to diplomatic solutions that ensure the safety, sovereignty, and dignity of all people involved,” the CARICOM statement said.
On October 6, 2023, the day before Hamas attacked Israel, the international benchmark Brent crude was trading at $85 per barrel and has been fluctuating at up to $96.
On Thursday, it traded at $91 per barrel. With the exception of gas-rich Trinidad and Tobago, the 14 other countries of CARICOM, are energy importers.
Approximately 93 percent of the region’s energy needs are met by oil imports, which average 13% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, says the Jamaican Government remains committed to seeking reparations for the prolonged period of chattel enslavement endured by the African forefathers on the country’s plantations.
Minister Grange said that the historical events of the transatlantic slave trade continue to have a lasting impact on Black communities to this day.
She contended that the ongoing struggles to finance education and healthcare, address poverty and housing issues, respond to economic shocks and climate change impacts, and foster peaceful societies are all rooted in the historical legacy of enslavement.
Minister Grange was addressing a church service on Sunday (April 14) at the Webster Memorial United Church in St. Andrew, where an apology was issued on behalf of the United Reform Church (URC) in the United Kingdom (UK) by Moderator of the Assembly of the URC, Reverend Tessa Henry-Robinson, for the church’s historical involvement in slavery.
“We, the general assembly of the United Reform Church, mindful of our own history and that of our antecedent bodies, wish to confess and apologise for our role in transatlantic slavery and the scars which continue to blight our society, our church and the lives of Black people in our midst and around the globe today,” the apology read.
Minister Grange, in accepting the apology, urged UK churches, particularly those whose representatives were present for the historic apology in Jamaica, to communicate to their government the ethical imperative of admitting culpability through an apology and working with Jamaica to discern the potential avenues for reparations.
She said that the church’s role in the transatlantic slave trade has had significant and enduring effects on Black communities, impacting society, the church itself, and the lives of Black individuals worldwide.
“It is this complicity of the church that gave solace and comfort to the citizens and governments of UK and Europe as they endorsed and defended with their military project, that saw the capture, the torture, the dehumanisation, and devaluation of African people, legacies of which we experience today as racism, white supremacy, and discrimination,” she stated.
“We struggle to build peaceful, stable societies because of the perpetration of violence which was the platform on which enslavement was executed yet, in spite of this, we have been good converts to these same religions. Our people have adopted and adapted the doctrines and rituals of these new religions and in many instances have energised and revitalised them with cultural practices of African spirituality,” the Minister emphasised.
The URC is a community of Christians gathering in local churches across England, Scotland, and Wales, and is part of the global family of Reformed Churches, comprising more than 70 million Christians.
With approximately 42,000 members in around 1,200 congregations, supported by more than 600 ministers, the URC plays a significant role in the spiritual and communal life of its members and the broader community.