JSIF Spends $2.9 Billion on Economic and Social Services Projects

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has completed a total of 673 projects as well as approved some 972 sub-projects at a cost of $2.9 billion over the last 10 years.
Minister of Information and Development, Donald Buchanan, who made the disclosure at yesterday’s (July 2) weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, said that 67 per cent of these projects were designed to improve the social infrastructure of communities islandwide, and some 882, 589 Jamaicans have benefited.
“Additionally, 14 per cent of the projects were economic infrastructure projects and some 141, 105 persons have benefited from the implementation of those projects,” the Minister noted further.
Continuing, Mr. Buchanan stated that 12 per cent of the projects implemented over the last 10 years were directed at organizational strengthening and some 64,485 persons have benefited. “There were projects under the social services programme where some 290,827 persons also benefited,” he added.
The JSIF was created by Government to carry out community-based social and economic infrastructure projects.
On other matters, Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract valued at more than $24 million to Jamaica Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Limited for the supply, installation and commissioning of three elevator systems at the Central Sorting Office. “The elevators now in use at this facility are extremely old, archaic, inefficient and unsafe,” Minister Buchanan told journalists.
He noted that while the systems are serviced periodically “they are now operating well past their life cycle and the cost incurred to maintain them is not economical.”