THE Government has earmarked US$50 million from the US$400−million Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP) to fund the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), which is to begin in next month.
Yesterday, Transport and Works Minister Dr Omar Davies said details of the JEEP, a major plank of the administration's political campaign, will be presented during the budget debates in the upcoming fiscal year which begins in April.
In the meantime, however, he said he has instructed, where possible, that ongoing projects should be rescoped in order to allow for the reallocation of US$50 million to fund the JEEP.
"US$10 million is available for immediate utilisation and the remainder will be utilised over the medium term," Dr Davies said.
The transport and works minister said in addition to the JDIP, the Administration has identified projects, some of which are existing, which have been brought forward and expanded, with others still at the concept stage.
In the Ministry Paper on the JEEP presented to Parliament yesterday, the Administration outlined plans for the immediate implementation of projects and programmes valued at approximately $1.2 billion from five ministries which, it said, will create employment for over 5,000 persons.
Those projects include the temporary employment of 815 youth under the Ministry of Education's National Youth Service programme and an additional 100 youth under the HEART Trust/NTA. Gully and drain−cleaning works will also be carried out under the Ministry of Transport and Works, as well as bushing of main roads, sidewalk repairs and installation of traffic signs, kerb painting, pothole patching and construction of river− training structures.
Under the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment there will be resort clean−up projects. The Administration identified other projects under the ministries of labour and social security, and agriculture.
Yesterday, Karl Samuda, the Opposition spokesman on transport and works, said his party was in full support of the proposal by the Government.
Last month, Dr Davies ? who had revealed that almost the full US$400 million for the JDIP has already been spent or committed ? had insisted that the JEEP, which will be funded from that budget, will not be at an additional cost. He said JEEP's funding will be within the constraints of what remained.
"Although the actual level of funding which remains uncommitted, and thus available for reallocation, is still to be ascertained, I wish to assure this House and the country that the JEEP will be implemented and there will be no increase to the existing budget for JDIP," he told Parliament then.
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