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Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Hon. Shahine Robinson, has lauded Prime Minister Bruce Golding for initiating the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to bolster social, infrastructure and economic development within constituencies.
Making her presentation in the Sectoral Debate at Gordon House Tuesday (July 28), Mrs. Robinson, who has portfolio responsibility for the Fund, pointed out that 1,241 projects were approved for implementation, accounting for $2.3 billion, or 98.5 per cent of the Fund's annual allocation.
Improvements to physical infrastructure accounted for approximately $1.3 billion, or 58 per cent of all the projects approved for implementation.
The State Minister said that the CDF was not a political programme, as all Members of Parliament (MPs) have to ensure transparency and that benefits accrue to all constituents, regardless of political affiliation.
She said the programme's mandate could not be over emphasized, as it has helped MPs to embark on a number of small scale infrastructural projects during the past year, benefiting residents across the country.
Mrs. Robinson noted also that the Fund has provided numerous grants and other types of financial assistance to students at the secondary and tertiary levels, and has generated employment for thousands through various projects.
"Over the past year, the CDF has demonstrated what effective representation ought to be," she stated.
Mrs. Robinson said value for money is important to the success of the Fund and, to this end, there is constant monitoring, evaluation and documentation of projects by the CDF programme management unit.
"It (the unit) works tirelessly to see all CDF projects being executed, to verify that there is a built-in sustainable element in each project to ensure maintenance for years to come," she said.
http://www.jis.gov.jm/justice/html/2...E_ROBINSON.asp
Making her presentation in the Sectoral Debate at Gordon House Tuesday (July 28), Mrs. Robinson, who has portfolio responsibility for the Fund, pointed out that 1,241 projects were approved for implementation, accounting for $2.3 billion, or 98.5 per cent of the Fund's annual allocation.
Improvements to physical infrastructure accounted for approximately $1.3 billion, or 58 per cent of all the projects approved for implementation.
The State Minister said that the CDF was not a political programme, as all Members of Parliament (MPs) have to ensure transparency and that benefits accrue to all constituents, regardless of political affiliation.
She said the programme's mandate could not be over emphasized, as it has helped MPs to embark on a number of small scale infrastructural projects during the past year, benefiting residents across the country.
Mrs. Robinson noted also that the Fund has provided numerous grants and other types of financial assistance to students at the secondary and tertiary levels, and has generated employment for thousands through various projects.
"Over the past year, the CDF has demonstrated what effective representation ought to be," she stated.
Mrs. Robinson said value for money is important to the success of the Fund and, to this end, there is constant monitoring, evaluation and documentation of projects by the CDF programme management unit.
"It (the unit) works tirelessly to see all CDF projects being executed, to verify that there is a built-in sustainable element in each project to ensure maintenance for years to come," she said.
http://www.jis.gov.jm/justice/html/2...E_ROBINSON.asp