SMART Card not for drinking, smoking

London was responding to a Sunday Newsday query over reports that the cards were not reaching the persons for whom they were intended, during Thursday’s regular post-Executive Council Meeting press briefing.

He explained that about 800 persons were to receive SMART Cards and scoffed at the claim of 15,000, wondering aloud whether it was not meant to be 1,500, since 15,000 would mean almost every household in Tobago.

London further explained that the 800 beneficiaries comprised persons who were absorbed from the SHARE and CEFED programmes.

He said the SMART Card programme would be constantly reviewed, to allow for those recipients who no longer qualify for this assistance to be taken out of the programme, and vice versa, persons who may qualify to be added.

London asserted that the programme would come under strict scrutiny to prevent any abuse of the facility.