PEOPLE’S National Party (PNP) spokesperson on social transformation and social protection, Patricia Duncan Sutherland is rejecting the idea being explored by the Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr that would see councillors and Members of Parliament playing a role in the recommendation of PATH beneficiaries.

“We cannot afford the risk of political victimisation by inserting political representatives in the assessment and allocation of social benefits through PATH. This is a safety net that serves the most vulnerable in our society and can be strengthened without councillors and members of Parliament acting as intermediaries,” Duncan Sutherland said in a release.

“While we agree that improvement is needed in the process of assessment, monitoring and evaluation of beneficiaries and applicants, social workers are better equipped for the task than political representatives. PATH offices should be mandated and resourced to accurately maintain a list of all benefits and share this with representatives so that they can actively refer constituents to the system as a partner in the process,” she added.

Said Duncan Sutherland: “Recent utterances from former Cabinet Minister Everald Warmington make it clear that some MPs believe that the State’s resources are theirs to parcel out along political lines. While this view is not held by all, we must protect vulnerable citizens from the risk of being starved of social benefits because of the misguided loyalties of a few.”