When the Guardian visited the Ministry of Housing we found its Minister, Hon. Michael Finnegan, poring over hundreds of files of people who’ve put in applications to get assistance out of the $20 Million Venezuelan Housing Grant money.
As the Ministry had announced, the distribution of the grant will be done in regions with the Northern Region consisting of 11 constituencies. The Western Region will include six constituencies. The Southern Region will have four constituencies and the Central Region which will have the ten Belize City based constituencies.
In speaking with Hon. Finnegan, he explains that in the Central Region he along with the Minister of Works, Hon. Anthony Martinez and two other representatives from the private sector will be looking at the files to determine who is most qualified to receive assistance. “Everyone will get a fair opportunity to access the funds” commented Hon. Finnegan as he looked more closely at the files. He adds that the committee has received hundreds of applications from all constituencies in the Region and the task now is to process the applications.
Hon. Finnegan says it is a daunting task, but he says that the committee is up to ensuring that people ‘the poorest of the poor’ receive assistance. Notably among the files on his desk included submissions by PUP area representatives. To this Hon. Finnegan reiterated, ‘everyone will be treated fairly’. He added “within the next few days people will start to see the grant program implemented. As the government we will ensure that the quality of life of people is improved and the Venezuelan Grant money will be one of the ways in which we do this.” At his quarterly press conference, P.M. Barrow explained that after the meeting of the committee which took place on Wednesday April 22, the disbursements will be made. The Prime Minister added that while there have been complaints of bureaucracy “we were determined to do things differently to ensure transparency so that the people of this country could know that this administration would not play fast and loose with money that has been gifted to the people.” He added that government also has to account to the Venezuelans and that he sees the government doing things properly.
