Cabinet Approves Drought Alleviation Programme

Cabinet has given its approval for a drought alleviation programme to proceed in the rural areas and farming communities across the island, with an initial sum of $8 million.
Speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House yesterday (April 3), Minister of Information and Development, Senator Colin Campbell, told journalists that the money to fund the programme has been identified by the Ministry of Finance.
Senator Campbell said it was decided by Cabinet that Local Government and Environment Minister, Dean Peart, be designated to “lead a number of initiatives along with the local authorities, to ensure that some measure of drought alleviation takes place across the parishes in Jamaica”.
In addition to the $8 million to fund the programme, the Information Minister noted the initial sum “will go together with any additional resources that can be garnered from the Ministry of Local Government through the Equalisation Fund, which is available to assist parishes in emergencies”.
Minister Peart is scheduled to hold a number of meetings during the course of this week, according to the Information Minister, which would be aimed at finalising a drought alleviation programme to bring a measure of relief to rural parishes affected by limited rainfall.