'Sheep’ Says Not Enough For The People In The Budget

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At-Large Representative, Hon. Neville ‘Sheep’ Smith and Premier and Finance Minister Hon. Dr Natalio Wheatley.

(PLTM) - At-Large Representative, Hon. Neville ‘Sheep’ Smith has advanced the argument that the 2023 Budget does not have enough to directly benefit people.

Speaking during the budget debate on Tuesday, December 20, Hon. Smith lamented that upon reviewing the budget some things stood out for him.

“Madam Speaker, when I look at this budget a couple of things pop out at me that…I don’t think there is enough in there for the people. I am not saying that we haven’t done anything, but to me there is not enough in there that going to really touch the life of the people, Madam Speaker,” Hon. Smith stated.

He shared his experience of persons contacting him for help, but sometimes when Public Works Department is approached, in the cases where a wall may have collapsed, assistance was not forthcoming because the wall was on private property.

“Madam Speaker, these people pay tax; and we have to help the people so we have to find some ways or some means that we can put something in place that can help the people. It just has to be accountable, transparent so everybody can see what is being done,” Hon. Smith said.

The Legislator, who has set up an office in the First District following the arrest of former Premier and Minister of Finance, Andrew Fahie, said he does not want to turn away persons.

“I was elected here to help and I want to help and right now I feel as if our hands are tied, Madam Speaker. So we have to now try to find a way so we can make this happened. We can’t just say no it can’t happened. We have to find a way to make it happen Madam Speaker,” Hon. Smith stated.

The Government’s public assistance programme, including COVID-19 grants, have received targeted criticisms and red-flagged by the United Kingdom’s Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

This has led to the Ministry for Health and Social Development undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of the grant programme.

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