Minister of Social Development and Family Services, Donna Cox, on Tuesday received a courtesy call from Her Excellency Analisa Low, Ambassador of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to China, at the Ministry’s Head office on St Vincent Street, Port of Spain.
The meeting included cordial discussions on ways in which the Ministry and the Embassy can collaborate to improve the social services offered to citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
Among the discussions held, was the need for greater synergies among both offices, strategies to combat fraud and opportunities for training. The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss data driven frameworks for effective delivery of social services. Minister Cox expounded on some of the Ministry’s ongoing and upcoming initiatives, particularly the National Register for Vulnerable Persons, the Suicide Prevention Hotline, and the National Grandparenting Programme.
Minister Cox also placed emphasis on strengthening the Ministry’s social safety net to better serve the most vulnerable persons, in order to lift them out of poverty. She noted that presently, the Ministry’s focus is on reaching vulnerable communities and families, and identifying their needs to better serve them. According to Minister Cox, “With the Ministry’s digitization efforts, persons will see some changes soon such as faster turnaround times and alternatives ways of paying clients. Recently, the Ministry has been developing closer relationships with its foreign counterparts, in an effort to adopt best practices in social services.”
In response, the Ambassador agreed to create stronger ties with the Ministry and took the opportunity to share on China’s digitization developments, including their cashless society, which is supported by e-commerce and digital payments. She looks forward to maintaining an excellent working relationship with the Ministry.
The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services remains committed to proactively exploring opportunities to ensure that no one is left behind.
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