Featured News Story

Inner city residents to benefit from J$217 million cash injection

 

Kingston, July 11, 2008 (JSIF):

 

Fourteen inner city projects will soon receive an injection of $217 million from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund under its Inner City Basic Services Project (ICBSP) which is aimed at improving the basic infrastructure of twelve pre-selected inner-city communities. This occurred at the most recent sitting of the JSIF Board.

 

The projects comprise the Africa Integrated Infrastructure Package in St. Catherine which was allotted $124.6 million. Under the project, the community of Africa will see the construction and rehabilitation of its water supplies, storm water drainage and roads.

 

In Clarendon, the Bucknor Water Supply project was given the go ahead to the tune of $15.7 million. The works to be carried out will involve fencing the sites of the community’s steel tank, concrete tank, and pumping station along with associated ancillary works. In addition, the existing pipeline will be removed and replaced with PVC pipelines.

 

The community of Flanker in St. James also received the Board’s nod of approval for Phase 2 of the Flankers Water Supply Project in the amount of $48.3 million. Under this project, a water storage tank will be installed to provide water to the community and allow the residents to have facilities that will enable individual water connections and meters. In addition, a central pipe will be put in place to replace the existing individual pipes along the community’s footpaths as well as the installation of a water main through Hog City and Red Dirt to facilitate the placement of fire hydrants.

 

Eight summer camps were approved to the tune of $13 million and will generally focus on imparting personal development and life coping skills through the creation of a recreational atmosphere.

 

In addition, conflict and mediation skills, drug abuse awareness, self-esteem development, cultural awareness and sports will also be employed during the staging of the camps.

 

Under the Youth Education and Recreation component of the ICBSP project, the Whitfield Town and Federal Gardens Youth Recreation Package 3 in St. Andrew were approved in the sum of $6.3 million and $8.3 million respectively.

 

While in St. Catherine, the Shelter Rock Youth Education and Recreation Package 3 was received approval in the sum of $5.2 million.

 

An additional three projects were also approved under the Emergency Recovery Project (ERP) which was recently launched by the Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding. Under the ERP primary and all age schools damaged by Hurricane Dean will be rehabilitated. As such, the Board gave approval for the restoration of the Mannings Hill All Age School and Chetolah Park Primary School both in St. Andrew in the amount of $1.5 million and $3.9 million respectively; as well as the Bethany All Age School in Manchester in the sum of $8.1 million.