Minister Kirk Humphrey Praises Record Budget Allocation for Disabled Community in Barbados - Appropriation Bill 2024 Highlights

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey has hailed this year’s Budget

as the best one ever for the disabled community in Barbados.

Humphrey made that declaration during the Appropriation Bill 2024 in the House of Assembly

yesterday afternoon. He highlighted the fact that his Ministry has never received more money

from a national Budget than the BDS $104,108, 989 it is set to receive from in this financial

year.

“If you look at when the Democratic Labour Party was in power, they never saw that kind of

money. This is the most money that was ever offered to the social services sector and that has

come under this Government!” Humphrey exclaimed. “I am also happy to report that before we

end this financial year we anticipate even more funds, another six or seven million more to build

out facilities in this country because we recognise that if there is a problem coming that we

always say we have to face it and fix it.”

He continued “I anticipate another two or three million dollars for children to build that facility we

described in the Child Protection legislation that is going to be so important as it will allow us to

work with children so that we can save some of them.”

Humphrey was responding to claims from Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne that the money

allotted for the social services Ministry was too little given the high cost of living in Barbados and

the social economical factors associated with that.

He said “I feel very concerned that yesterday everything in the Barbados Labour Party

Government was wrong. The Honourable Leader of the Opposition could not find anything that

the Barbados Labour Party Government did that was good. This Government has done more for

persons with disabilities than any other Government.”

The Minister added “It is clear in all of the legislative work that will be coming here to protect

persons with disabilities. It is clear in the 40 percent increase that we gave to all Non

Government Organisations (NGOs) that do work for persons with disabilities. It is clear in the

vehicles that we bought and the two that we will buy every year for the next three years to make

sure that they can travel safely. This Government without question has done more for persons

with disabilities or the elderly than any other Government.”

Humphrey concluded by declaring his pride in public service workers in the Ministry of People

Empowerment and Elder Affairs, insisting that their hard labour is pivotal to transforming

Barbados from a place where people are broken and need help.