Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud
Persons with disabilities through a collaboration between the Human Services and Social Security and the Tourism Industry and Commerce Ministries now have access to the necessary funding to kickstart small businesses.
This is according to Dr Vindhya Persaud who highlighted that various training programmes are being offered by the Ministry are not focused on getting persons living with disabilities employed in the workforce, but steer them in the direction of establishing their micro-business.
“Our focus has not been fulsomely on employment, but has been more on entrepreneurship… So we have seen a few of those persons start their own small businesses or micro-enterprises,” she stated.
As such Dr Persaud noted that the Ministry has been working to put systems in place to finance persons living with disabilities to start their micro businesses.
She revealed that the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Ministry of Industry Trade and Tourism established a portal that puts finance into the hands of persons living with disabilities.
“There has been a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, and Tourism, and as such, we have been working with them to develop a portal, which has materialised this year, to have persons living with disabilities access the revolving fund. We have seen several persons accessing that revolving fund, which puts finance into the hands of persons living with disabilities. It’s a brand-new initiative, very few countries have this. There is no interest, and the repayment time is a very protracted one, and so they can utilise this finance for the startup of businesses,” she stated.
According to the minister, since the establishment of this portal over 30 persons living with disabilities have been able to access funds to start their businesses, these businesses range from poultry, garment, construction, and printing among others.
Additionally, the minister noted that this programme does not only equip persons who have completed the training programme which materials and funds to start a business but caters to all persons living with disabilities.
