Minister of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) Pearnel Charles Jr, while greeting the Human Development Programme Leader for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank Emre Özaltın, during a courtesy call on Wednesday, used the opportunity to advance discussions about the Social Protection for Increased Resilience project (SPIRO).

SPIRO was initiated by the Government of Jamaica through the MLSS, which has already been approved at the Public Investment Management level and by the Cabinet.

“This project aims to strengthen Jamaica’s Social Protection Programmes and Systems by improving resilience and increasing opportunities for the Jamaican population, as well as facilitating the implementation of systems and human resources for effective disaster risk management response and strengthening Labour Market Services to improve employment outcomes and support vulnerable groups. Further, the project includes a Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC) to facilitate emergency funding for National Emergencies,” a statement from MLSS said on Wednesday.

The project is valued at some US$20 million and is expected to commence in June 2024 and continue for six years. It is estimated to end in January of 2030.

At the same time, Charles Jr expressed appreciation and anticipation of the project.

“We must ensure that this project looks at the potential opportunities for our youth to get involved and see how we can integrate our young population and their creativity into this process,” he started.

Additionally, Özaltın indicated that Jamaica has been a pioneer since 2001 in adapting the Social Protection Systems and that Jamaica could be an excellent pilot model for the region to transform its systems going forward.

The World Bank Board is expected to start the negotiation process for a loan agreement in March 2024 and it is expected to be in full effect by June 2024.