Govt helps Nat’l Disabilities Centre

GOVERNMENT will ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the San Fernando-based National Centre for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD). This assurance was given yesterday by Prime Minister Patrick Manning following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting at Whitehall.

The Prime Minister announced that Cabinet agreed to a “one-off grant” of $376,607.81 to help the NCPD meet its projected expenditure for the period July to September 2003. “In addition, Cabinet approved a short, medium and long-term plan to guide the Centre towards financial sustainability,” he stated. Including in this plan are the presentation of a business plan to the Prime Minister’s Office by October, special reporting on the NCPD’s finances to Cabinet, reviews by the Ministries of Public Administration and Social Services Delivery on the Centre’s organisational needs and allocation of an appropriate number of government contracts to the NCPD in the areas of printing, woodworking, garment construction, marketing and sale of the Centre’s products.

Manning added that Cabinet has instructed him to submit a detailed funding programme for the NCPD for 2004. He said Government’s annual subvention is $520,000 and the NCPD is requesting it be increased to $1.4 million. Manning was uncertain whether this would end the 100 day-long protest by disabled persons outside the NFM compound on Wrightson Road, but said he will be meeting with a delegation of persons from Disabled Persons International today at Whitehall at 9.30 am.