The COVID-19 Relief and Support Programme which oversees the issuing of grants of $25,000 to households has distributed a total of 236,876 grants valued at nearly $6 billion across the ten administrative regions as of February 6, this year.
This disclosure was made by Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud, during her written response to questions asked by Opposition Member Haimraj Rajkumar.
The response was circulated during yesterday’s sitting of the National Assembly.
In his question, Rajkumar requested the value of the distribution thus far, which regions and communities benefitted from the cash grant and which are yet to collect.
In response, Persaud provided a table which detailed the number of grants distributed to each administrative region for the period and the corresponding values.
According to the figures presented by the minister, Region Four received the highest number of grants (83,502) with a total value of $2,087,550,000.
Region Three received the second highest number of grants (44,095) with a value of $1,102,375,000, followed by Region Six with 35,009 grants amounting to $875,225,000.
According to the figures, Region Eight received the lowest number of grants. Persaud informed that 3,064 grants were distributed to the region with a value of $76,600,000.
Rajkumar had also asked to be provided with a report, interim or final, of the completed audit as of January 15, 2021.
In her written response, Persaud explained that the programme has two phases.
The first phase, she said, is still incomplete since distribution is still ongoing in Region Four and once this is finished, an interim audit will be conducted into Phase One of the programme.
Following the completion of the second phase, a final audit will be conducted into the programme.
“When the second phase, which includes the pink slips, has been completed, a final audit of the entire COVID-19 Relief and Support Programme will be conducted,” Persaud said.
