Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest admitted yesterday that funding for the new Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction will call for a number of adjustments to be made and that some of its functions will fall under existing portfolios. 

“A lot of the work that this ministry will do will be coordinating more so than actually doing things themselves.  But to the extent that there is budgetary needs for them specifically, there are a number of places we can draw from,” Turnquest said. 

“As you know, we are taking funding from the international community through donors, as well as through the contingent line of credit that we have drawn down on, as well as the dormant accounts fund.

“We are taking some money from that, which as you know, when we did the legislation was designated towards disaster relief. 

“So we will take a combination of funding sources to make sure that the ministry has what it needs to be effective.”  

What the government does not plan to do, he added, is use the money pouring in from the international community.

“Not to fund the ministry, let’s be clear, but to fund the services that the ministry will provide,” Turnquest said. 

“So for instance, monies that may have been donated may be allocated to shelter. They may be designated for reconstruction of infrastructure that’s critical to getting people back into those communities, that kind of thing.

“So we are very careful and want to be very careful about how we utilize donor money in particular so I want to be very clear about that.

“Donor money is going towards the intended purpose of assisting people, not for public infrastructure, not for administrative cost.  It’s going to the people where it’s intended to go.”   

As for staffing needs, the deputy prime minister said there are plans to draw from different areas of the public service.