Gov’t gets $1.7b from EU for infrastructure projects
PRIME Minister Bruce Golding and Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Jamaica, Ambassador Marco Mazzocchi Alemanni this week signed financing agreements for a combination of projects slated to cost $1.7 billion (euro 17.6 million).
The four projects receiving funding from the European Commission, through grants, include two infrastructure projects and support for technical co-operation with the Planning Institute of Jamaica and other partners, including non-governmental organisations.
Under the Support to the Road Sector Programme, the government of Jamaica will be assisted with strengthening and improving road maintenance operations. This intervention has two components. The first for an amount of $990 million (euro 10 million) is provided through sector budget support to the Ministry of Transport and Works to assist in implementing road maintenance plans.
The funding will also facilitate euro 2.25 million which will be directed to strengthening the management capacity of the institutions involved in road maintenance – Ministry of Transport, National Works Agency, Department for Local Government and Island Traffic Authority.
Among the agreements signed on Monday was the Rehabilitation of the Negril and Ocho Rios Wastewater Treatment Plants. For the Negril plant, the project aims, among other targets, to restore the stabilisation ponds which will ultimately increase the sewage treatment capacity and efficiency. A sludge thickener will be constructed next to the current treatment plant in Ocho Rios and this will significantly limit the amount of material produced, thereby reducing the storage capacity requirement.
Institutional Strengthening of the Planning Institute of Jamaica II is a four-year programme to ensure effective utilisation of EU-Jamaica co-operation funds by assisting the Deputy National Authorising Office, through capacity building and training, to perform duties as stipulated by the Cotonou Agreement.
The European Commission will also provide $136,991,400 (euro 1,369,914) for the Technical Cooperation Facility. This four-year project is designed to assist with identification and successful implementation of actions financed by the European Development Fund through the provision of technical assistance and the improvement of awareness among key actors of general development and trade issues and of EU policies through training.
Funding for the projects has been provided under the 9th European Development Fund.