COVID Cash Transfer Kicks off Next Week

John Briceño

Government’s COVID Cash Transfer Program commences next week as an initiative to financially assist roughly twenty-five thousand families that are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Its rollout complements existing programs such as the Ministry of Human Development’s Grocery Bag.  In explaining the purpose of the Cash Transfer, Prime Minister John Briceño pointed out that the previous administration left the Unemployment Assistance Program completely dry.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“As we speak, Madam Speaker, grocery bag supplies are rolling out.  This week, grocery bags are being given out to thousands of needy Belizeans and this will continue up to the end of March.  The previous government, they bankrupted the Unemployment Assistance Program and left the Debit Card Program completely bankrupt.  Lots of poor people were conned before the election.  Dehn gih dehn di debit card and tell dehn go through, wih got di money eena di bank fi yoh.  Next week, Madam Speaker, next week we will start to roll out the Belize COVID-19 Cash Transfer Program.  This program will be funded through the World Bank and it will provide assistance for the next six months to about twenty-one thousand homes, twenty-one thousand households.  Madam Speaker, we are doing the best we can under the dire circumstances the U.D.P. has left this country.”