Minister of Local Government, Sonia Parag today fiercely defended Government’s part-time job programme, as she stood in the National Assembly championing the $1.3 Trillion Budget, of which $11B has been set aside for the initiative.  

Minister Parag said since the start of the Budget Debates last Friday, the Opposition has developed a “disturbing trend” of attacking the 10-day work programme, despite the fact that it has been putting thousands of dollars into the hands of thousands of persons.

Under the programme, persons are paid $40,000 for 10 days of work within a month at Government office or facility.

“I find it reprehensible that an honorable member would come to this House, purporting or pretending to represent the vulnerable groups in our society, the working class, the young people, and would come and strip those people of their dignity because they choose to have an honest job in the hospitality industry under the part-time programme [or] as a part-time garbage collector,” Minister Parag said.

The Opposition has called for permanent jobs to be provided, which would pay more.

But while lauding the programme which falls her Ministry, the Minister of Local Government said some of the participants have gained fixed employment, and are utilizing the skills garnered under the programme to upgrade themselves.

“Their attack on the part-time workers programme under the Ministry of Local Government is not an attack just on policy, it is an attack on the thousands of hard-working men and women, who now have the means to provide for their families,” she said.

According to the Local Government Minister, the part-time job programme has benefitted more than 15,000 persons to date. She said 75% of those beneficiaries are women, with more than 2,500 based in the Hinterland region.  

Minister Parag said the $11 Billion that has been set aside for the programme this year, will see its expansion.

She said aside from that programme, $13.2B has been set aside  to support better Solid Waste Management in the country.

“With that, we will have new compactor trucks equipping the NDCs. We will now also have the firefighting mobile vehicles, that were procured from the Home Affairs Department, to assist as the first response from the local democratic organs in the communities, 40 of which are here already. We will continue to create landfill sites, 13 were already created from 2020 to now,” she said.

The House was also told that in addition to their annual subventions, NDCs have received an annual grant since 2020.

But A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul told the House that Minister Parag, since taking office approximately one year ago, has failed to complete a number of programmes.

“No target that was set by this ministry was achieved under Honorable Sonia Parag. The Local Government Sector Strategy – not achieved. The completion of a sanitation sector plan – not achieved. Establishment of the monitoring and evaluation framework – not achieved. Completion of the ministry’s strategic plan – not achieved. Completion of Regional Strategic Plans – not achieved. Training staff in specific areas, where the target was 760 – not achieved and as per their manifesto promise, substantially increase the subvention to NDCs and towns – not achieved,” he submitted.

He said despite a commitment by the Government to increase the subventions of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils, and the Town Councils, those subventions have remained stagnant since the change of Government in 2020.

“We are committing to Overseers, Chairs and Vice-Chairs significant increases in your salaries and benefits. We did it before and we would do it again. We are committing to the national pathway workers to create an avenue for them to develop their skills and truly have a pathway to real development not to just be stagnated at $40,000 for 10 days. We will reopen the Bertram Colins College of the Public Service and develop programmes to incorporate those very pathway workers for their smooth entry into the public service,” he assured.

He said too that the APNU+AFC will also develop a structure for the Regional Economic Transformation programme and will explore the feasibility of a recycling plant for the country.

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