Minister of Social Services and Urban Development the Hon. Frankie Campbell has announced that at the end of June in New Providence, the Department of Social Services will beta test its electronic wallet system (enabling clients to make financial transactions digitally), using three vendors, which will cost the government $735,000 in assistance.

In early July, the IT team will fly to Grand Bahama to train Social Services staff to ensure the same kind of beta testing can be carried out on the island, by the end of July.

“We are confident that once successful, this will enable us to reduce, eradicate the long lines on the outside of the Social Services Department,” stated Minister Campbell.

Minister Campbell’s comments came following a “straight forward, open and candid discussion” with executives and workers at the Department of Social Services in Freeport on Friday morning (June 19, 2020).

“I am satisfied that this meeting was a very productive meeting,” said Minister Campbell. “I’m satisfied that we are advancing rapidly towards what will be a very rewarding IT platform for both our internal and external customers.”

The meeting officially introduced Ms. Chalamay Fernander as the head of Social Services in Grand Bahama, and it gave the team in Grand Bahama an opportunity to share concerns, challenges and impediments that can result in frustration of clients.

Minister Campbell continued, “We also wanted to give some of the Parliamentary caucus an opportunity to hear those concerns, to share their own concerns and to see how we could marry all of the concerns to ensure that our clients are better served and to ensure that our employees are working in a comfortable and productive environment.”

Minister Campbell said that the meeting resulted in greater appreciation on both sides for the work and the challenges that Social Workers in Grand Bahama face, including the lack of appropriate furniture, equipment and other office supplies.

“In the final analysis, there is a great appreciation for what the team here at Social Services has been doing, is doing and will continue to do,” said Minister Campbell. “I believe that even those frustrated members of the public would have a greater appreciation if they were aware of the internal constraints.”

Also sitting in on Friday’s meeting with Minister Campbell and executives from Social Services were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, K. Peter Turnquest; Minister of State for Grand Bahama, Senator Kwasi Thompson; Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction, Iram Lewis and Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Information and Communication, Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe.

“I want to thank the Department of Social Services for the hard work that they have been doing, not just on a normal basis, but from the time of Hurricane Dorian and now in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic,” said Deputy Prime Minister, K. Peter Turnquest.

“All of these situations have brought tremendous hardship to the people of Grand Bahama, which in turn has brought many people to the Ministry of Social Services. We empathize with the external clients of Social Services and so we are thankful that efforts are being made to make it easier to access and use the Department of Social Services.”

Minister Turnquest noted that while the new technology will help better serve residents who use the services of Social Services, it remains a people business and therefore, the personal touch of the professional officers at the Social Services Department will still be available.

“When I gave my Communication to Parliament on the Budget for 2020/2021, one of the statements I made was that no Bahamian through the length and breadth of this country will go hungry,” said Minister Turnquest.

“That is a commitment that has the sanction of the Prime Minister, as well as the Government of The Bahamas. Through Social Services, we will ensure that mandate is lived up to.”

Minister of State for Grand Bahama, Senator Kwasi Thompson also commended the staff at Social Services for the job they’ve been doing under the circumstances. He pointed out that the Office of the Prime Minister in Grand Bahama is partnering with the Ministry of Social Services because the government’s digitization program, through the Digital Transformation Unit (DTU) and the Department of Transformation and Digitization, has been focused on using technology to better serve the public.

“One of the things that Covid-19 has taught us – and has forced us [to do] – is to be able to use technology to continue to serve the public,” added Minister Thompson. “So we’ve been focused on assisting the Ministry of Social Services through the establishment of an online application. They have done an excellent job of putting that application in place online.”

MINISTER CAMPBELL SPEAKS – Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie Campbell (right) addressed members of the media, during a press conference on Friday, June 19, 2020 at the Department of Social Services in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Also on hand for the press conference was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. K. Peter Turnquest (left). (BIS Photo/Lisa Davis) 

MEETING WITH DEPT. OF SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF – Social Services and Urban Development Minister, the Hon. Frankie Campbell; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Peter Turnquest; Minister of State for Grand Bahama, Senator the Hon. Kwasi Thompson; and Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction, the Hon. Iram Lewis met with staff members and leaders at the Department of Social Services on Friday, June 19, 2020 to discuss the concerns and challenges being faced by the department. (BIS Photo/Lisa Davis)