A SUM of $80M under the Office of the Prime Minister for 2019 will see the training of broadcasters at newly established radio stations, community outreach projects and civil society and human rights initiatives, among others.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo provided the breakdown on figures on Monday – sub-headed under the ‘Prime Minister’s Secretariat’– during consideration of the 2019 budgetary estimates.
He stated that a portion of the sum will go towards the education of youths, with 50 schools to be facilitated with school tours at the cost of $3M; and stipends to be paid to those on work study at $250,000.

Meanwhile, some $5M will go towards the prime minister’s community outreach programme; the Governance Office will receive $2M to retain technical experts to review treaty obligations and report on their implementation.

Inter-agency collaboration and consultation sessions will receive $1M; civil society consultation sessions based on issues of human rights concerns have been allocated $2M; work on open government partnership is to receive $2M and the universal periodic review regarding human rights treaties will be funded with $3M.

The supervision and the consultancy for radio trainees will cost $16M, while provision of their meals and stationery and ongoing training at the six newly commissioned radio stations will be funded with some $2M.

For constitutional reform, a total of $38.6M has been set aside, but spending is dependent on the formation of the Constitutional Reform Committee. The prime minister also announced additional funding of $1M to go to the repairs of furniture; $1.8M to upkeep the ministry’s email domain; $2M for website-hosting and maintenance; $250,000 for e-networks; $40,00 for the purchasing of power strips and $400,000 for purchasing cellphones.