Cabinet Supports Continuation of Boost Programs

Dolores Balderamos- Garcia

Cabinet has pledged to continue its Boost program under the Ministry of Human Development.  That decision made today’s Cabinet brief. The release stated that the program is an important pillar of social protection for the neediest Belizeans. But, was the announcement made as a political ploy to curry favor with voters only forty days before the upcoming municipal elections? That’s what we asked Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, the Minister of Human Development, when we caught up with her in Belmopan today.

Dolores Balderamos- Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“The update on BOOST is that it will absolutely continue. But, we have to remember that there are criteria to qualify for the boost, but if your economic circumstances get better then you can graduate out of it. Boost is reall7y meant to protect the most vulnerable and poorest in our community. Now, we were reminded in Cabinet that the poverty assessments have been done over the years, and the one, the assessment for 2018 is different than the one that will come out for 2022. Now, if it shows less multidimensional poverty in 2022, that doesn’t mean it will close the Boost, because we will still have elderly and vulnerable people and people with disabilities. So we only gave an update and review to Cabinet and government and Cabinet have agreed that we will continue to program. Boost has been around form 2010 and it started with international assistance and now the government funds it. This has been going on and on, so this could never be an election gimmick. The reason why it made the Cabinet brief is because we gave a report on how it is running and the ways in which we will continue to roll it out.”