And while the prison tries to look out for the welfare of those on the inside, the Ministry of Human Development is responsible for those on the outside. And right now more than ever, people need to eat. That's because the pandemic has put the country in a financial crunch and - the latest poverty assessment shows that in 2018 - one in every two Belizeans was living in poverty - so imagine now - after COVID!
The UDP administration had begun the pantry program as well as the COVID 19 relief assistance, which provided both groceries and money to those who needed it the most. But when the PUP came into office, they realized that the programs were unsustainable and also concluded that benefits were going to people who weren't supposed to be on the program.
They rebranded it as the grocery bag program, and then again to the COVID Assistance Program. But the bottom line is that it should be providing food items to citizens and will be starting up again soon - but there is a severe lack of funds.
Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia - Minister of Human Development
"Because it is government money, it's a lot less than we had in the previous financial year. We are trying to allow the area reps to have a little more say but of course in terms of the accountability we will be asking them to get their poor people to sign that they have received the grocery bag. So, we're trying to allow on persons on the ground who know their communities to be able to distribute the food assistance."
Reporter
"So, you're saying that the stringent assessment that came under the previous administration won't exist this time, so how are you held accountable?"
Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia
"We're easing it a little, it's not that we will have no accountability but we're easing it a little because area reps really felt that the BCCAT was a little too stringent and what we also found is that the assessment process was deeply flawed. I don't hide that because when you're doing assessments by telephone it's difficult to go and verify in each and every household, not that we don't want to continue the safety net of the BOOST and the BOOST Plus, those will definitely continue but in this one with the food assistance we decided with cabinet's approval to ease the restriction a little bit but of course people have sign and we asking area reps to make sure that the poorest of the poor can receive a little assistance."
Reporter
"When will the food assistance restart?"
Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia
"It should be this week, some people have already been accessing it."
Minister Balderamos Garcia also told us that they wouldn't be continuing with their cash program, BCAAT, because of the ease with which monies can be mismanaged.
