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$29-b loan for JDIP clone
Gov’t to spend $2.5 billion this year on new programme
BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, April 05, 2013
THE Government is borrowing $29.2 billion from the China Ex-Im Bank to fund another multibillion-dollar infrastructure development programme that the Administration says will provide 23,000 jobs under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) over three years.
Scheduled to run from April 2013 to March 2016, the programme intends to cover rehabilitation of 430 kilometres of prioritised roads, rehabilitation or reconstruction of 27 critical bridges, retaining walls and other protective works. It is also expected to complete sub-projects which were started but not completed under the controversial Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP) implemented by the previous Government.
Details of what the Government has named the Major Infrastructure Development Programme were outlined in the 2013/14 estimates of expenditure tabled by the Government in the House of Representatives yesterday.
The controversial JDIP, which was also financed by the China Ex-Im Bank, went awry under former minister of transport and works Mike Henry, triggering condemnation from Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis.
However, despite the similarities in both programmes and Henry's insistence that a JDIP2 was on the verge of being signed with the China Ex-Im Bank when he exited the ministry in 2011, current minister of transport, works and housing Dr Omar Davies seems desperately intent on blurring the similarities.
He has insisted that "the connotations" are not good, pointing to many unanswered questions left behind by JDIP, which still has some US$50 million to spend before it is completely exhausted.
The only departure from JDIP in the current programme is the involvement of JEEP, which was introduced by the current Government last year to produce jobs, but which has been plagued by the economic crisis.
However, one question the current Government will have to answer when the estimates go to the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives next week, or when its ministers speak on the programme during the budget debate, is when will the jobs be available?
According to the estimates, the Government plans to spend $2.5 billion this financial year on the new programme, comprising $1.8 billion from China Ex-Im and $660.4 million from the Government of Jamaica. However, it is not clear how much, and if any, of the funds will be spent on JEEP employment in 2013/14, as the estimates refer to the spending of the $2.5 billion this year on "land and structures" and the "commencement of works" to effect the repairs.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2PanXN2P6
Gov’t to spend $2.5 billion this year on new programme
BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, April 05, 2013
THE Government is borrowing $29.2 billion from the China Ex-Im Bank to fund another multibillion-dollar infrastructure development programme that the Administration says will provide 23,000 jobs under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) over three years.
Scheduled to run from April 2013 to March 2016, the programme intends to cover rehabilitation of 430 kilometres of prioritised roads, rehabilitation or reconstruction of 27 critical bridges, retaining walls and other protective works. It is also expected to complete sub-projects which were started but not completed under the controversial Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP) implemented by the previous Government.
Details of what the Government has named the Major Infrastructure Development Programme were outlined in the 2013/14 estimates of expenditure tabled by the Government in the House of Representatives yesterday.
The controversial JDIP, which was also financed by the China Ex-Im Bank, went awry under former minister of transport and works Mike Henry, triggering condemnation from Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis.
However, despite the similarities in both programmes and Henry's insistence that a JDIP2 was on the verge of being signed with the China Ex-Im Bank when he exited the ministry in 2011, current minister of transport, works and housing Dr Omar Davies seems desperately intent on blurring the similarities.
He has insisted that "the connotations" are not good, pointing to many unanswered questions left behind by JDIP, which still has some US$50 million to spend before it is completely exhausted.
The only departure from JDIP in the current programme is the involvement of JEEP, which was introduced by the current Government last year to produce jobs, but which has been plagued by the economic crisis.
However, one question the current Government will have to answer when the estimates go to the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives next week, or when its ministers speak on the programme during the budget debate, is when will the jobs be available?
According to the estimates, the Government plans to spend $2.5 billion this financial year on the new programme, comprising $1.8 billion from China Ex-Im and $660.4 million from the Government of Jamaica. However, it is not clear how much, and if any, of the funds will be spent on JEEP employment in 2013/14, as the estimates refer to the spending of the $2.5 billion this year on "land and structures" and the "commencement of works" to effect the repairs.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2PanXN2P6
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