February 7, 2014 -- The UPP Administration has invested in social protection programmes over the years, targeting the most vulnerable and marginalized within our society. These include troubled youth, single parents, the destitute and discharged lepers.
The National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS) for Antigua and Barbuda outlines the macroeconomic, structural, and social policies and programmes to promote growth, reduce poverty, and improve overall living conditions in the country.
In 2014 government will go into high gear to implement more programmes with a renewed attention on formulating government policy, formulating and enforcing legislation, setting and applying standards for providing social protection, and conducting and applying research into social protection affairs and services.
The assistance programmes and services will continue in 2014 and involve:
counseling services
probation services
rehabilitation services
child protection services
financial assistance to the elderly
food and in-kind assistance
residential care and assistance
empowerment programmes
employment programmes
training and re-tooling programmes
life-skills and heath training;
Functional and efficiency reviews of all the departments and agencies that currently administer social programmes will provide information necessary to identify, develop and implement necessary reform initiatives.
Additionally, information technology will be utilized to automate and centralise programme administration and tracking, and to significantly improve fiduciary oversight of the payment process.
Financial support and technical assistance from development partners, specifically the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank, will provide the resources to transform our social protection sector into one that is targeted and coordinated.
A well resourced Department of Social Policy, Research and Planning, the appropriate administrative, technical and governance systems and procedures will allow the government to realise its objectives of not just coordinated, targeted and effective social safety nets, but also reducing the expenditure on social protection spending, over time and in the near future.
Capacity development will be given high priority and will include skills and knowledge in social policy, social protection, economics, and information technology.
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