‘Special’ $400M payout for healthcare frontline workers

Frontline workers in the local health sector will benefit from a massive $400 million payout that has been set aside by the government, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh announced on Thursday.

The Finance Minister made this announcement as he highlighted other fiscal incentives being doled out for public servants. These incentives, he said, will be paid before the end of the year.

As he announced this specific measure, Dr. Singh acknowledged that the workers of the health sector continue to face “extenuating circumstances in the daily discharge of their duties” as the country continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stated further that the details of this payout will be announced shortly.

The work of local frontline workers has been acknowledged as these individuals are exposed to the deadly coronavirus in their day-to-day operations. In the 2020 Emergency Budget, $150 million worth of monetary support was provided to these workers.