While Trinidad and Tobago records one of the highest GDP per capital among developing nations, there still exists severe poverty.

Efforts to reduce poverty within the last six years have been concentrated on developmental programmes designed to empower communities and individuals. 

Even though these programmes have contributed directly or indirectly to the improvement of the welfare of vulnerable groups, they appear to have impacted only in a limited way, on the level of poverty. 

The Poverty Reduction Programme is funded by the European Union with grant funds amounting to 6.0 m Euros (TT$31.8 m). The Programme is intended to bring more coherence, more efficiency and sense of priority into the Government's approach towards poverty reduction. It will also accompany the reorganising of the delivery of the social services at the regional level.