THE JAMAICA Social Investment Fund (JSIF), a Government poverty alleviation programme, has completed 410 of its 562 projects that it has approved islandwide since its implementation in 1996.
The cost of the projects is approximately $1.7 billion.
This was reported recently, at the 7th annual general meeting of the Fund at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
These investments include social infrastructure such as the construction of basic, primary and all-age schools, health centres, community-based water systems, community training centres and sports facilities.
In the area of economic infrastructure, the total investment has been $947 million. This involved the rehabilitation of small roads in farming communities, bridge approaches, and small factory facilities producing agricultural products.
Under social services, which include conflict resolution, career guidance, job placement and counselling for families and young people, the Fund invested some $75 million.
Meanwhile, another $94 million was invested for organisational strengthening, such as technical assistance and training to Government and non-governmental institutions in participatory project identification, sub-project sponsors and communities to upgrade their skills in organisation and mobilisation
FUNDING
For the fiscal year 2002/03, the Fund received $294 million, with major funding from the Government of Jamaica, the Caribbean Development Bank and the World Bank.
Commenting on the success of the programme, Dr. Wesley Hughes, Chairman of JSIF said: "This marks the seventh successful year of operations of JSIF, and by successful, we use a number of criteria but one which I personally use is the degree to which we have remain true to our commitment to being non-partisan, being able to deliver scarce benefits to Jamaicans without becoming a major part of controversy about being partisan and about being corrupt".
