New Green Fund committee to be appointed

A new Green Fund Advisory Committee (GFAC) will be appointed soon. This was the response yesterday from Planning and Development Ministry officials to concerns from people applying for grants under the Green Fund.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one applicant said, "The application process is onerous." Another said the process has no opening or closing dates and there are vagaries about the information being requested.

In response, a Planning Ministry official said, "There are no problems accessing grants." A second official explained that the Green Fund Executing Unit "continues to receive and ready applications" pending the appointment of a new GFAC.

The tenure of the previous committee has expired and the appointment of a new committee is said to be "due imminently." The second official also said a few applications had been considered by the previous GFAC and are to be "initialised."

A third official said additional information requested by the previous committee was not resubmitted by applicants before its term ended, such as recommendations to review budgets and quotations.

The selection of the new GFAC is reportedly receiving the attention of Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis.

The last GFAC was chaired by former Central Bank governor Ewart Williams.

The Green Fund is this country's national environmental fund, which is a grant facility, generated from a tax levied on corporate entities. Funding is available to community groups and organisations engaged in activities focusing on re-mediation, reforestation or conservation of the environment.