VM Group Contributes $5 Million to Hurricane-Recovery Efforts

Support for the country’s hurricane recovery and rebuilding has been boosted through a donation of $5 million from the Victoria Mutual (VM) Group to the Joint Private Sector Hurricane Melissa Relief Task Force.

The presentation took place on Wednesday (December 10) at the Hope Road, St. Andrew offices of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ).

The funds will support the distribution of relief supplies, assessment of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) and provide targeted interventions in the most severely impacted communities.

The Joint Private Sector Task Force works closely with national agencies, civil society partners, and private-sector donors to coordinate relief supplies, evaluate the needs of displaced families, and support the recovery of affected businesses, particularly MSMEs that form the backbone of many rural economies.

Group President and Chief Executive Officer of VM Group, Courtney Campbell, who handed over the cheque, said his organisation is pleased to support the efforts of the taskforce, which comprises the PSOJ, Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC).

“To date, they have raised over $2 billion to support the rebuilding of our communities and to make life more comfortable for our fellow Jamaicans in the most affected parishes. We think that this requires an all-hands-on deck effort and so the VM Group wishes to participate in that,” he said.

Mr. Campbell noted that the VM Group has been doing its own outreach in communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa but wanted to contribute to this larger private-sector effort.

PSOJ President, Metry Seaga, who spoke to JIS News after the handover ceremony, expressed appreciation on behalf of the task force.

“The members of the PSOJ, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association are thrilled to be receiving this donation today. It forms part of a bigger plan that the VM Group has and has committed to the country, and we are thrilled to be receiving this $5 million,” he said.

“On behalf of these organisations, we assure the public sector that every cent will go to right causes and to the people that need it most in Jamaica,” he pledged.