Will NIDS become a barrier to hurricane relief?

The prime minister’s announcement that anyone seeking to get a benefit through the recovery process must be registered under the National Identification System (NIDS) is of concern.

According to Prime Minster Dr Andrew Holness, the relief efforts were hampered by the “ability to swiftly identify and verify beneficiaries”. I would dare say that most people did not think it would have been a swift process to bring relief to individuals, but to wait an entire year?

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I can think of a particular woman in St Elizabeth who is still living under tarpaulin. Before Hurricane Melissa, she lived in a house with the consent of the owners. Melissa totally destroyed the house and, of course, the furnishings. Her plight has been verified by at least one government agency, but to date, she has not received any assistance despite the fact that she possesses a current passport. She is not expecting assistance to rebuild the house since it was not hers from the start, but she too has suffered major loss. Her identity and the loss can be verified, but still no assistance from the Government. So how will registering with NIDS help her?