Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I would like to ask him questions about the 2015 NGO stabilization funding. The Non-Government Organization Stabilization Fund was established, I think, about two or three years ago now, three years, I think, and it’s been quite successful. When it was initially established there were some fairly large growing pains. Organizations had a tough time getting information. They had a very tough time in getting the money in a timely manner. Over the years, when it was with the Department of the Executive, things improved greatly.
As Members know, this was transferred to the Department of MACA in this fiscal year and I’ve learned just recently that the call has gone out. It was received on June 2nd by the non-government organizations and the turnaround time is just over two weeks.
So, Mr. Speaker, my first question in looking at the policy that sits on MACA’s website, it’s under Applications, number 4. It states: “A call for applications will be issued yearly. The call will be issued before May 31st each year. The application period will be at least three weeks and no more than five weeks long.”
So I’d like to ask the Minister how it is that the information on the 2015 fund went out on June 2nd and how the turnaround period is less than three weeks. Thank you.
