$1.5B allocated for Community Enhancement Workers programme

A total of $1.5 billion was on Monday allocated in the 2024 National Budget for the Community Enhancement Workers (CEWs) programme which falls under the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

This sum was announced by Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, during his budget presentation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

“Mr Speaker with the specific objective of providing support for routine maintenance of community infrastructure…under the Community Enhancement Workers programme…in 2024 $1.5 billion will be budgeted,” the finance minister disclosed in the room.

According to him, this programme saw 2381 persons being employed in 2023 where a similar sum was allocated for them. It must be noted that the CEW was implemented to specifically provide jobs for citizens.

Persons under this programme have the responsibility to ensure that the country’s physical appearance is aesthetically pleasing to locals and visitors.

They will also contribute to government’s objective of positively transforming the country and creating safe and family-orientated spaces for citizens. The CEW programme is a part of the Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP), which is aimed to boost villages and regional economies, along with the tourism sector.

CIIP was started in 2014, but was altered in 2015 by the former government. However, when the PPP\C administration returned to office in 2020, the programme was eventually sustained.