FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan and Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis on Monday went into painstaking detail about how different grants are administered to the people who need them.
Imbert, Sinanan and Robinson-Regis were each responding to questions in the House of Representatives.
Imbert told Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee it was not possible to say what is the minimum time in which people who applied for the salary relief grant (SRG) would receive their SRGs.
He explained the process involves things such as a review of the documentation submitted, a determination of the person's eligibility for the SRG and determination as to whether the applicant has "an active and functional bank account."
But Imbert said, "I can say, however, that if a person meets all of the criteria...has an active bank account..is eligible...the payment should be made between three to four weeks after application."
At a news conference on May 21, Imbert said the total number of SRGs paid out by the ministry as of that date was 86,196.
"So that of the total of approximately 93,000, we had paid out (to) over 90 per cent of those persons who applied and were deemed/found to be eligible."
Sinanan said discussions are taking place between his ministry and the Finance Ministry about providing a fuel relief grant to taxi and maxi taxi operators under the extension of the public health regulations.
At a news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's, the Prime Minister said these new public health regulations which were implemented on May 6 and originally supposed to end on May 23 would be extended to July 4.
When Lee observed this grant had been given before and asked why was discussion taking place about it now.,Sinanan replied, " I don't know that if the grant was given before automatically means that it will be given again. That's my answer to that."
The Works and Transport and Finance Ministries first announced the issuance of one-time fuel relief grants to taxi owners last July.
This grant was applicable only to owners of operational H-taxis. The deadline for submission of applications for it was August 28, 2020.
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