“Because we Care” cash grant expected to continue in 2015

By Tracey Khan – Drakes

As of December 08, the Ministry issued 135, 969 vouchers and some 135,689 were cashed.

“We have seen things that we can do better, like I said for the first time a national programme rolling out…it was easy for a programe this big to go a little south on us, given that you have not seen large amounts of complaints and problems on the programme. I am sure if you addressed your mind to it you would understand how much planning and preparation went into that,” Manickchand said.

She further explained that as of December 08, 2014 over $1.6B was spent to distribute the $10,000 per child cash voucher in the public school system. The money that was not spent will be returned to the consolidated fund.

Minister Manickchand said the format used to distribute the $10,000 cash grant was guided by parents, since over 50 consultations were held countrywide and inputs were made by teachers and parents on steps that should be taken to implement the programme.

“We worked very hard on this programme to be as open and as transparent as we can possibly be…we ran what we thought what was extremely pleased about in the ministry an incredibly successful programme there is very little we could say were unhappy with, of course it was a large programme of national magnitude so there were challenges.”

The distribution of the cash grants will continue today, Saturday December, 13.