China to Help Construct Two New Infant Schools

The schools are to be located in Tower Hill, Kingston and Morant Estate, St. Thomas.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Hon. A. J. Nicholson, inked the agreement, which was one of four signed on behalf of the Government, on August 21, following a welcome ceremony and meeting between the Jamaican delegation, led by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, and a Chinese delegation, led by Premier of China, Li Keqiang, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Under the agreement, the Chinese government will assist in constructing the classrooms, playing rooms, auxiliary rooms, outdoor corridors, outdoor playground and other facilities. The Chinese will also be responsible for the design of the project, supplying the necessary construction machinery, equipment, materials and dispatching the necessary number of Chinese technical personnel to Jamaica to organize construction.

The cost will be disbursed from grants as stipulated in the two agreements on Economic and Technical Co-operation between the Government of China and Jamaica, signed on March 22, 2012 and August 23, 2012.

For its part, the Jamaican government will be responsible for providing the land for construction, removing all ground and underground obstacles. It will also provide water, electricity and access road to the site as well as “exempt the Chinese from import duties and all other taxes on construction machinery, equipment and materials imported for the project.”