Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke has announced a two-month BEST Cash extension representing two elements of the Government’s COVID assistance programme.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Clarke said SET Cash and BEST Cash grants will be extended to August 2020.
Apply at www.wecare.gov.jm
They were expected to end in June. BEST Cash is for tourism employees and SET Cash for other workers laid off because of the COVID pandemic.
The BEST Cash extension of the programmes will benefit just under 50,000 workers who were earning up to $1.5 million a year. Clarke said the grants of $18,000 a month would help many people with loans and other obligations.
He also said with Jamaica now approaching 120 days since some businesses were forced to close because of COVID-19, there is the potential for employees to initiative redundancy requests.
However, Clarke said the government does not want to precipitate this and so the extension of the grant programme while the economy recovers could be helpful. In the meantime, Opposition Spokesman on Finance Mark Golding said he was disappointed that there was no extension to the CARE programme that benefited the largest number of people.
“For the most vulnerable in the society, there is no good news for them,” said Golding.
Just under 400,000 people had applied under the CARE programme for the one-off $10,000 grant.
Just under 400,000 people had applied under the CARE programme for the one-off $10,000 grant.
About the CARE Programme Extension
The CARE Programme is a temporary cash transfer programme to individuals and businesses to cushion the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CARE Programme represents the Jamaican society coming together to assist those who are most affected by the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and to put us in the best position to recover and to be stronger than we were before the crisis.
The systems (CARE Programme extension) to deliver a targeted intervention of this scale, in the required timeframe, do not exist and have to be built from scratch. A multidisciplinary team from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, the Accountant General’s Department, Tax Administration Jamaica and eGov Jamaica Limited have been working around the clock to build the required infrastructure.
Call the helpline 888-4WE-CARE
(888-493-2273) | www.wecare.gov.jm
@MOFJamaica
As much as is possible, applications to the CARE Programme will be electronic and the online platform will open on April 9, 2020. In addition, those with questions will be able to call the helpline 888-4WE-CARE (888-493-2273).
The CARE Programme extension is broad in scope with benefits for a wide range of individuals and businesses who are likely to be affected. In addition, there is a Compassionate Grant that anyone can apply for providing that they are not otherwise benefiting from the CARE Programme.
Even then, it will not be possible for the CARE Programme to reach everyone and the Government cannot do it alone. This is a time where all of us, citizens of Jamaica, need to be our “brother’s and sister’s keeper” Let us pull together, rally around and support each other and show that WE CARE.
