Page 56 - JSIF Magazine Approved-v2-web4

It is a great pleasure to congratulate Jamaica on the launch of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund. This launch represents the
considerable achievement of a project team dedicated to the design of an innovative mechanism for financing community-level
investments in partnership with community, non-governmental, local and central government, the private sector and the agencies.
The creation of JSIF is an outcome of the commitment of the Government of Jamaica and the World Bank to accelerate poverty
reduction in Jamaica.
The preparation of JSIF was characterized by three notable features which will contribute significantly to its success; a team
of local experts was hired to prepare the project and they now form the core of the staff of JSIF. Implementation capacity was
therefore built during preparation. Consultation and participation of a wide range of stakeholders including the Opposition,
community groups and partners was extensive at every stage, from the competitive hiring of staff to the documenting of detailed
monitoring and other procedures under which JSIF was highly transparent.

THE WORLD BANK

(Excerpt from Official Statement- Launch of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund)

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner, November 27, 1996.

1996

“Iam grateful for this opportunity to add my sincere congratulations to the Management and staff of the Jamaica Social
Investment Fund, after months of detailed preparation to officially launch the Fund. I am comforted by the very competent
and professional Board and the systems and procedures that have been put in place to ensure that the Fund operates in a
transparent and non-partisan manner. As Minister with portfolio responsibility for JSIF, it has been my pleasure to have led the
negotiations for the loan and grant financing to capitalise the operations of the Fund and I can assure everyone that every effort
will be made to ensure that these resources will be spent for the purposes for which they were intended. The Fund is a very
significant component of the Government’s National Poverty Eradication Programme and signals the Government’s intention to
direct substantial resources to the disadvantaged and under-served communities across the country over the course of the next
few years. I trust the organisation will receive the support of government, non-governmental and community-based organisations
and of the communities in the spirit of community development.”

DR. HON. OMAR DAVIES
FORMER MINISTER OF FINANCE AND PLANNING

(Excerpt from Official Statement- Launch of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund)

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner, November 27, 1996.

56