In what will likely be his last week as the Minister of National Development, as he hands over to Mark Espat, the Prime Minister today signed an agreement with the European Union for rural development. It's for BZ$18 million that will target poverty alleviation projects. But it's not free money; the head of delegation for the European Commission in Jamaica, Gerd Jarchow explained that it is for small, community-based projects.
Gerd Jarchow, European Commission
"If farmers need, or their association needs, assistance in capacity building or if there is a community based organization."
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"I should make it clear however, and this was one note of disappointments on our part, that these funds are, unlike the SIF/BEST Project, cannot be utilized for micro-credit. Its not a micro-credit program so I don't expect farmers to be coming to us for loans out of this $16 million. It's really to improve, to create capacity building, institutional strengthening, feeder roads, and things like infrastructural development to reduce poverty."
Jarchow and the Prime Minister also authorized a micro-enterprise credit scheme for 1.6 million euros, about BZ$4 million.
