Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey has hailed this year’s Budget
as the best one ever for the disabled community in Barbados.
Humphrey made that declaration during the Appropriation Bill 2024 in the House of Assembly
yesterday afternoon. He highlighted the fact that his Ministry has never received more money
from a national Budget than the BDS $104,108, 989 it is set to receive from in this financial
year.
“If you look at when the Democratic Labour Party was in power, they never saw that kind of
money. This is the most money that was ever offered to the social services sector and that has
come under this Government!” Humphrey exclaimed. “I am also happy to report that before we
end this financial year we anticipate even more funds, another six or seven million more to build
out facilities in this country because we recognise that if there is a problem coming that we
always say we have to face it and fix it.”
He continued “I anticipate another two or three million dollars for children to build that facility we
described in the Child Protection legislation that is going to be so important as it will allow us to
work with children so that we can save some of them.”
Humphrey was responding to claims from Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne that the money
allotted for the social services Ministry was too little given the high cost of living in Barbados and
the social economical factors associated with that.
He said “I feel very concerned that yesterday everything in the Barbados Labour Party
Government was wrong. The Honourable Leader of the Opposition could not find anything that
the Barbados Labour Party Government did that was good. This Government has done more for
persons with disabilities than any other Government.”
The Minister added “It is clear in all of the legislative work that will be coming here to protect
persons with disabilities. It is clear in the 40 percent increase that we gave to all Non
Government Organisations (NGOs) that do work for persons with disabilities. It is clear in the
vehicles that we bought and the two that we will buy every year for the next three years to make
sure that they can travel safely. This Government without question has done more for persons
with disabilities or the elderly than any other Government.”
Humphrey concluded by declaring his pride in public service workers in the Ministry of People
Empowerment and Elder Affairs, insisting that their hard labour is pivotal to transforming
Barbados from a place where people are broken and need help.
