The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The Ministry of Social Services has received the go-ahead to acquire a near-$700,000 information management system that will better track benefits recipients and reduce application turnaround times.

Frankie Campbell, pictured, minister for social services, said yesterday: “We have been beta-testing an IT system, an information management system. We are pleased with the prospects, and Cabinet has approved the funding, so we are hoping that in short order we will sign the formal contract. This system is excess of $600,000 and nearer to $700,000.

“Hopefully within another two to three weeks we will have the full use of this information management system, which would allow us to track all of our clients from beginning to end. This would allow us to reduce the waiting time for clients, thus reducing the frustration, and which would allow us to make better projections because we will have accurate real time data from this system.”

Mr Campbell said his ministry has modified the standard process for applying for assistance, and added: “Usually there is a list of questions, and it necessitates home visits to verify certain things. We are trying to bypass those in the immediate to give the emergency assistance, and then we can follow up on that later.

“We are managing well with the resources that we have. You would have heard of our efforts in Bimini in preparation for the lockdown there. We have in excess of 700 homes in Bimini, and we made it possible to provide food coupons for more than 600 homes.

“There are persons there who were benefiting from the Bank of The Bahamas pre-paid cards. Those persons realising that the cards wouldn’t be uploaded until the end of the month, we ensured that they, too, had care packages in preparation.”

Mr Campbell said the government’s social assistance funding has “significantly increased” year-over-year as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, but he was unable to provide reporters with an up-to-date figure.