By: Chaïra Flanders
Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 15, 2020 (ZIZ News): Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris is encouraging persons who suffered loss of income to inform the Water Services Department of their concerns by filling out the Water Services Department COVID-19 Special Assistance application form.
His remarks follow a question posed by a caller on a previous edition of the government’s virtual forum, Leadership Matters. Prime Minister Harris on Tuesday night
“I have been advised by the Water Engineer, the Head of that Department, Mr. Parris that the facts are that a number of persons have in fact benefited from that program. For you to be able to secure that benefit you have to apply for it. There is a special form, Water Services Department COVID-19 Special Assistance application form which you have to fill in. So if you have not applied, the Water Department will not know that you have suffered loss of income as a result of COVID”, PM Harris stated.
Dr. Harris explained that filling the form should be an easy process where applicants are required to share their Social Security number, contact information and give other important information.
“Just as you would have to fill in a form with respect to your severance or long service gratuity, you are expected to fill in the form. It is not a difficult form, it is very simple; name of applicant, your account number, social security number, they ask for your contact number, your place of work, you sign the form, it’s straight forward, simple and then the Water Department will process it”, he explained.
He said that his government is encouraging all affected persons to access and download the form from the Ministry of Finance’s website and all other sites of the government.
Persons who meet the eligibility requirements will benefit from a waiver of water payments for the month of April, May and Jun 2020. Prime Minister Harris also revealed that Cabinet approved the decision to extend the waiver until September following the decision to extend the COVID-19 stimulus package.