JSIF to Spend US$42 Million on Integrated Community Development Project
By: March 2, 2015 ,The Key Point:
The Facts
- The project was launched at the Barrett Town United Church Hall in St. James on Thursday February 26.
- Speaking at the launch, General Manager for Project Management at JSIF, Loy Malcolm said the Government negotiated a loan with the World Bank for US$42 million which is to be invested across 18 communities in Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon, St. Ann, St. James and Westmoreland.
The Full Story
The Jamaica Social Investment Fund, (JSIF), will over the next five years spend some US$42 million on an Integrated Community Development project which forms a major part of the Government’s 2030 vision for Jamaica.
The project was launched at the Barrett Town United Church Hall in St. James on Thursday February 26.
Speaking at the launch, General Manager for Project Management at JSIF, Loy Malcolm said the Government negotiated a loan with the World Bank for US$42 million which is to be invested across 18 communities in Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon, St. Ann, St. James and Westmoreland.
Looking specifically at the Barrett Town Community Development project, Ms. Malcolm said it has three main components: infrastructure development, soft interventions and skills training.
She explained that infrastructure development will include: roads, schools, water supply system, zinc fence removal and things relating to community spaces and sanitation.
“There will also be what we call soft interventions to include activities largely in the schools. There will be things in relation to skills training, employment opportunities…to include agencies such as HEART Trust/NTA,” Ms. Malcolm said.
She added that JSIF and other Government Ministries, departments and agencies will be working together to ensure that the project is a success.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for East Central St. James, Mr. Edmund Bartlett in welcoming the project told the gathering that the upgrading of Barrett Town could not have come at a better time, as development of the community, has been a major focus of his tenure as Parliamentary representative over the years.
“I want to say to you Barrett Town that we have talked about it for a while…about how we go about restructuring and redeveloping our community and we have even done some ourselves. We have also talked about the re-engineering of our community to make it a place that we all want to live, to grow our children and our families and to do business and to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. We are today a little closer to that,” Mr. Bartlett said.
In commending JSIF for selecting Barrett Town as one of the implementing areas for the project, Mr. Bartlett said the area “will be transformed into a community…. where its citizens will be proud to live, work and do business.”