Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr. launched the first in a series of town hall meetings to discuss the Government’s plans to overhaul the PATH programme. The first meeting was held at the Wesley Methodist Church Hall in Brown’s Town, St Ann.

Also present was the permanent secretary in the ministry, Colette Roberts Risden, who highlighted that the programme has been providing income support for more than 20 years to Jamaica’s most vulnerable families, by administering welfare assistance to address their consumption needs.

The ministry, in pursuit of a comprehensive transformation of the programme, is committed to ensuring its sustained efficacy for each beneficiary. The aim of the endevour is to empower residents to attain economic independence and social mobility, as well as to promote self-reliance.

Charles Jr. said: “We want an open honest dialogue so that your criticisms and recommendations can be assessed and used to improve the operation of the programme.”

He went on to specify, “the areas that will be addressed, include selection criteria, benefit levels, conditionalities, monitoring and general management of the programme.”

Charles Jr said the aim of the programme is to identify and keep the right persons on PATH.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security will work to enhance transparency and responsiveness, acknowledging the invaluable input from the public to improve this vital welfare initiative. The ministry is hoping that the continued town hall meetings will allow the citizens to be actively engaged in the transformation of the programme.