THE EDITOR, Sir:

JAMAICA IS not one of the 23 countries eligible to apply for funds under the Millennium Challenge Account announced by U.S. President George Bush on March 22, 2002 in Monterey Mexico.

Only countries with incomes up to $2,975 (the current World Bank cutoff for lower middle income countries) will be eligible to access the estimated US$5 billion account.

The MCA defines a pool of candidate countries based primarily on their annual per capita income level. Jamaica's per capita income is above the required income level and as such cannot evenbe considered for benefit under the fund. In our CARICOM region, only Guyana and Haiti can benefit if they meet the stipulated guidelines.

Perhaps what U.S. Ambassador LaGrange Johnson was not saying, was that, having recognised the challenges facing Jamaica, she would be lobbying the Bush administration to have Jamaica access the MCA as a special case.

I am, etc.,

CALVIN G. BROWN

nivlac69ja@yahoo.com

Hopewell P.O.

Via Go-Jamaica