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Contact:
Primus Hutchinson
Tuesday, May 20, 2003 - In keeping with its mandate to provide assistance
in the development of small community and other basic infrastructural projects,
the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) on Friday May 16, 2003 signed four contracts
to the value of EC$50,000 to repair three schools, namely the St. Aloysious R.C.
Boys Primary, the Odsan and Marchand Combined. Project Manager of the BNTF,
Clive Hippolyte, says although these are small projects they are among a number
of other projects coming on stream, as the Basic Needs Trust Fund prepares for a
new phase of an additional six year programme.
According to Hippolyte, one of the components is a skills training exercise in
the village of Laborie that will involve mentally challenged participants. Mr.
Hippolyte stated that there are also a number of infrastructural projects to be
implemented to complete the BNTF’s fourth programme spanning from 1997 to this
year. Hippolyte revealed that over 9 million dollars have been spent on the
completion of a number of skills and infrastructural projects during that
period.
“That will make a total of one hundred and twelve projects that have been
implemented of varying sizes ranging from repairs to St. Lucy’s Home; repairs to
some schools and also infrastructural projects and skills training projects as
well,” Hippolyte said.
According to Hippolyte, the ‘BNTF Five Programme’ will be implemented in July at
the cost of over four million US dollars for the next six years. Hippolyte also
indicated that it is anticipated that an additional two million dollars will
come from CIDA under this BNTF Programme. BNTF officials are in the process of
submitting for Cabinet approval, the Poverty Reduction Action Plan for the ‘BNTF
Five Programme’ for the next six years.
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