KINGSTON, Jamaica — Member of Parliament for St Andrew South West, Dr Angela Brown Burke, is calling for a 50 per cent increase in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), saying additional funding is needed to better respond to the needs of residents in the constituency.

She was speaking on Friday at her Back-to-School Treat and Health Fair, held at her constituency office on Spanish Town Road on Friday.

She said the CDF is used to support a range of programmes that provide assistance to students, parents and other residents, but the current allocation is not enough to meet the level of need.

“There is an amount of $5 million…I spent all of the $5 million for education plus I accessed the $3 million for tertiary students as well. It is still not enough because the need is so great so the only thing that will come out of it is probably some of the books and supplies,” Brown Burke said.

The Member of Parliament said she believes the annual programmes supported through the CDF are important to residents and help to ease some of the financial burden.

She is therefore calling for the CDF to be increased to around $40 million, doubling what it is now.

The call comes as parents continue to express concern about the rising cost of school books and other supplies ahead of the new academic year.

Brown Burke said the cost of school supplies is particularly challenging for parents with multiple children.

She said her office has provided assistance with school supplies, tertiary tuition and secondary school fees.

“We pay some and the parents get some time to pay the balance.”

Brown Burke said something could also be done about the contributions parents are asked to make, as different schools require different amounts.

She said she understands that some schools may ask for a higher amount at the start of the academic year, as they may not see parents as often for the rest of the child’s school journey, but argued that there must be a better way.

“This back to school is not a normal back to school. It is a back to school after Hurricane Melissa,” Brown Burke said.

The Back-to-School Treat and Health Fair catered to approximately 300 to 340 people. Corporate donors provided support for the rides, food, doctors and medical supplies.