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Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 01, 2022 (SKNIS): Today, February 01, 2022, is observed as the day marking the 44^th year since the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board was established in St. Kitts and Nevis.

During a national address commemorating the anniversary on Tuesday, the Minister responsible for Social Security, the Honourable Eugene Hamilton, said that “Social Security has demonstrated time and time again its thrust to ensure the sustainability of the economy through its various corporate social responsibility programmes.” He added that “Annual donations to health and national security, capital investment in local development projects, support to youth programmes and NGO’s, all add value to the core function of social security.”

The excellent corporate citizenry displayed by the Social Security Board in 2020 following the severe economic challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was a key social response that the minister highlighted in his address.

“A major show of solidarity in 2020 was the initiation and roll out of the COVID-19 Relief Fund, where over 8500 persons were provided with the COVID-19 grants to the tune of over $23 million,” he stated. “In 2021, Social Security again stepped up to support families whose income was once more interrupted by the second wave of the Covid 19 outbreak, in St. Kitts and Nevis.”

Additionally, Social Security in collaboration with Rams Supermarket and Valu Mart provided financial support of $275,000 in food vouchers through the Food Vouchers Initiative of the Ministry of Social Services and NEMA.

Honourable Hamilton expressed that this level of support is outside the usual scope of Social Security benefits, but it underscores the importance of Social Security, particularly in times of crisis.