WE SUPPOSE that we will be numbered among those to be accused by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller of being uncaring and opposed to any initiative in benefit of the poor.

Nonetheless, we are willing to risk the wrath of the Prime Minister to advise caution, despite her aggressive defiance, in how she dips into specialised funds and the use to which such cash is used.

Last Thursday, Mrs. Simpson Miller spoke at a function in South St. Andrew, the political constituency of Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies, where the National Housing Trust (NHT) has just completed a project, as part of an ambitious initiative to provide homes in inner-city communities. Mrs. Simpson Miller provided keys to some of the new owners of the 252 apartments, who were expectedly happy.

Under this initiative launched in 2003, the NHT is expected to spend $5 billion to build over 5,000 homes for people in urban and rural areas, many of whom would not ordinarily qualify for NHT benefits or afford mortgages. The Trust, which is funded by employee and employer contributions, structured an arrangement that made this possible.

Most Jamaicans, even those who contribute to the NHT and are yet to receive benefits, are unlikely to be opposed to these special inner-city projects. Beyond their social implications, the initiative falls close enough to the NHT's mandate.

But there was genuine cause for concern in the last fiscal year when the administration went into the NHT fund for $5 billion to help finance the proposed reform of education. It was a stress to argue that a scheme, developed in trust, to finance housing, could properly fund education programmes.

However, education is important and is an area in which Jamaica is not doing particularly well. So, even though people complained about this raiding of the NHT, swallowed hard and went along with the Government, especially in the face of its promise that this was a one-off withdrawal.

Mrs. Simpson Miller, the Prime Minister since March, might have so far kept the promise of her predecessor, Mr. Patterson, of not going back to the NHT.

However, she has found another source of cash, the National Insurance Fund (NIF), from which the Government is 'borrowing' $1 billion for lending to micro and small businesses.

The money in the NIF is being held in trust for contributors, when they can no longer work and earn incomes. The level of pension the NIF can afford to pay depends on the performance of the fund. So its managers ought always to be in search for the best returns, in the context of maintaining the safety of the NIF.

In that regard, the NIF board members, who are effectively trustees, even if they may not specifically operate under trusteeship legislation, should be particularly wary when the Government comes calling. Indeed, they should be particularly vigilant against a co-mingling of financial and economic decisions and political interests.

We would say the same to the board of the NHT, especially in the face of Mrs. Simpson Miller's promise that "we are going to touch more NHT money to provide for the poor".

The Prime Minister did not clarify precisely what she has in mind, but we all know that there can be an exceedingly thin line between actions in favour of the poor and taking political decisions.

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