T&T Food Card Programme was being ripped off

(Trinidad Guardian) Between TT$19 million and TT$33 million were being siphoned off annually from the Government’s Food Card Programme, Minister of the People and Social Development Christine Newallo-Hosein admitted on Wednesday. She said the discovery was made recently by ministry officials while they were enrolling people for the Government’s new Biometric Smart Card, which was unveiled on Wednesday at Grand Bazaar, Valsayn.

Cheryl Worrell displays her biometric Smart Card for the media during the launch of the Government’s latest social initiative at Xtra Foods Supermarket in Grand Bazaar, Valsayn.
Cheryl Worrell displays her biometric Smart Card for the media during the launch of the Government’s latest social initiative at Xtra Foods Supermarket in Grand Bazaar, Valsayn.

As a result of the discovery, Newallo-Hosein said 4,000 people who had been receiving the Food Card (Targeted Conditional Cash Transfer Programme) were removed from the system due to fraudulent activities. The minister made the announcement as she said Government was hoping the new Biometric Smart Card would reduce, if not eliminate fraud completely.

“The card will prevent the abuse of State funds by people who exploit the system by receiving multiple grants for which they do not qualify,” she told those present. Questioned further on the matter by the T&T Guardian after the function, she said details of the fraud were still being worked out by the ministry.

She gave an estimation, however, of how much money may have been fraudulently siphoned out of the Food Card Programme. The cards carry different values, from TT$410 to TT$700, and at the lowest card value (TT$410) over TT$1 million would have been siphoned monthly by 4,000 people who did not qualify for it.

“That would amount to TT$19 million a year,” she said. On the TT$700 card, 4,000 undeserving people would have drawn out $33 million. Newallo-Hosein said they only discovered the problem when they began registering people for the new Biometric Smart Card, since Food Card holders had to be called in.

Recipients of the Biometric Smart Card are required to put their fingerprints on them. She said when the ministry undertook that process it was found that a number of people whose names were on the system for the Food Card were deceased and others were using it. There were others who also just refused to come in to be fingerprinted for the new card because they just did not qualify, she said, while there was another group whose cards were stolen.

Newallo-Hosein was appointed Minister of the People and Social Development in February this year.  She was preceded by former Tobago East MP Vernella Alleyne-Toppin and former Caroni Central MP Dr Glen Ramadharsingh, who were both rejected as returning candidates for the September 7 general election.

Newallo-Hosein said the Biometric Card was an integrated multiple application card through which people would be able to access different Government grants. These include the Food Card, Public Assistance and Disability Assistance Grant, Senior Citizens Pension and general assistance grants. Newallo-Hosein said it would reduce administrative costs, remove the stress of waiting in long lines to collect social benefits and reduce fraud.

“The Biometric Smart Card will enable us to discern and monitor any irregular practices and identify very early any errors in processing,” she said. Over 40,000 people have been enrolled for the new card and over 8,000 were ready for distribution, she added.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, in delivering the feature address,  told the gathering: “Do not fear this card. The card can’t track anyone’s movements. All the data in it will be stored and shared in accordance with the Data Protection Act.” She said there would be outlets throughout T&T where recipients could access cash, pharmaceuticals and grocery items.