By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): Five hundred and twenty three people woke up this week without the income they had come to depend on after the Leadership Intervention Unit work program was put on a temporary pause by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The program, which was paying out $160,000 every two weeks to participants in Belize City, has been halted as government officials undertake a full reassessment of its effectiveness and the suitability of those currently enrolled.
CEO of the Ministry of Home Affairs Elton Bennett confirmed the pause and outlined three key reasons behind the decision.
First, a memorandum of understanding between the ministry and the Belize City Council governing the LIU and its beautification work program has been in place for over a year and is now due for a formal review.
Second, the ongoing state of emergency in Belize City has created a direct need to take stock of all anti-violence programs currently in operation.
Bennett noted that a number of LIU participants were caught up in the state of emergency and are currently incarcerated at the Kolbe Foundation.”We cannot have these individuals benefiting financially whilst they are incarcerated from this program,” Bennett stated plainly.
Third, government officials acknowledged that some participants had been collecting pay without fulfilling their work obligations, a situation that triggered serious questions about program oversight.
Bennett was careful to frame the LIU not as an employment program but as a stepping stone designed to equip at-risk youth with trade skills, vocational training and life development tools before transitioning them into independence.
“The LIU program is not intended to be a lifelong program of employment for you. It is only to prepare you for advancement,” he said.
When pressed on the reality that many of those affected have no other source of income, Bennett acknowledged the concern but stood firm on the government’s position.
He revealed that a meeting was held with the Minister, the LIU team, the Commissioner of Police and key advisors to map out the next phase of the program, which will focus on reaching younger and more at-risk individuals in targeted communities before they fall deeper into dangerous lifestyles.
The LIU is expected to launch new community projects in the coming weeks.
The post Leadership Intervention Unit work program shut down leaving 523 Belizeans without a paycheck appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): Five hundred and twenty three people woke up this week without the income they had come to depend on after the Leadership Intervention Unit work program was put on a temporary pause by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The program, which was paying out $160,000 every two weeks to
The post Leadership Intervention Unit work program shut down leaving 523 Belizeans without a paycheck appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.