World Bank, ministry collaborate on social protection systems

Representatives from the World Bank visited the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services (MSDFS) on Monday with the aim of fortifying social protection systems.

This marked the first day of a series of meetings between the ministry and the World Bank, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, at its head office on St Vincent Street, Port of Spain.

A statement from the MSDFS on Thursday said the meetings were part of the Ministry of Finance's initiative to engage the World Bank Group for fee-based services to enhance social protection, conduct expenditure reviews, and assess errors and fraud.

The timing coincides with Fraud Awareness Week, scheduled for November 12–18.

The statement said officials from the MSDFS had been examining the functionality of the social welfare system and The World Bank representatives had engaged with the ministry's Investigation and Compliance Unit to address matters related to error and fraud.

The goal is to identify areas for improvement based on international best practices, evaluate programme adherence to eligibility rules, understand potential risks, and examine the life cycle of a claim.

The meetings aim to pinpoint additional measures the MSDFS can undertake to prevent wrongful claims and deter fraudulent actions.

The statement said World Bank representatives observed the operations at two of the social welfare local boards, where grants such as the Public Assistance Grant, Food Support Grant, Disability Assistance Grant, and the Senior Citizens Pension were administered.

The scrutiny is meant to bring greater focus and clarity to understanding the role of each board in administering social benefits, understanding the process of eligibility determination, as well as checks and balances, and identifying challenges and potential improvements.

MSDFS said it welcomed the engagement with the World Bank, saying, "It seeks to foster more transparent, accountable approaches to the delivery of grants and services under the social protection system in TT."