MINISTER of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr says the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) Programme is creating an economic stimulus in communities.

He noted that hardware stores are reporting an increase in business, prompting them to take on additional staff; community members are being engaged as labourers; while there is a transfer of building skills as householders take on house restoration projects.

“We are hearing a lot of positives in terms of an increase in revenue for businesses, increase in terms of employment of people in the communities where they have had to bring on additional persons to help to manage the bigger crowds in terms of potential customers,” he said.

“So, it’s not just about handing over a voucher for somebody to redeem cash. It’s also the positive impact in terms of commercial activity, the positive impact in terms of jobs and the work experience, and the overall comprehensive impact for national development,” he pointed out.

The minister was speaking during a ROOFS outreach event at George Kirby’s Hardware in May Pen, Clarendon, last Friday, which is one of the approved hardware stores at which beneficiaries can purchase building material.

With a $10-billion allocation the programme provides direct financial support to households based on damage severity, ranging from $75,000 for minor damage to $500,000 for severe damage.

Over $8.25 billion has already been disbursed to affected households, injecting significant cash flow into affected communities.

The minister’s visit to George Kirby’s Hardware focused on direct interaction with applicants and beneficiaries, providing on-the-ground support, addressing programme-related concerns, and gathering feedback to strengthen service delivery and overall programme effectiveness.

The minister said the Government welcomes feedback and is working to iron out any glitches so as to make the programme more efficient.

“We’ve been a very flexible and agile ministry in terms of this initiative, and every single time we go out and interact — whether it is with the business owners or with our clients — we learn, and what is more important is that we adjust.

“We’ve seen the need for us to expand the locations quickly, and that was done. We’ve also seen some glitches in terms of cash redemption, and we’ve seen more opportunities for learning in terms of how we will do it in the future, such as scheduling the persons who will come to the [business] locations,” he said, noting that facilitating the pre-ordering of supplies is also being considered.

Manager of George Kirby’s Hardware, David Phillipps told JIS News that the programme has been going well.

“It has increased sales quite significantly…it has also helped us by introducing new staff members, giving people the opportunity to get a job,” he noted.

Kirby informed that zinc and other roofing material are the most requested items, followed by lumber, nails and screws.

He said the store has sufficient supplies to satisfy the needs of the customers but the major challenge is delivery, as some persons reside in hilly and remote areas.

“We try to help them out with our independent drivers. We do the best we can do to assist,” he told JIS News.

ROOFS beneficiary Winston Israel, who is from the Love Lane community, expressed gratitude to the Government for the assistance.

“Mi did need any type of help mi can get. I give thanks for the grant. June 10, I will be 80 years of age. Mi used to sell pants length but right now mi jump around little bit to make a money to buy little food, so I cannot afford the zinc and materials to replace my house and I am happy for the grant,” he told JIS News.