THA moves closer to MOU with Jamaica on small social programmes

THE THA has moved one step closer to signing its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Technology, Jamaica, for technical assistance in several areas.

Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, who is being accompanied by several members of his executive, is expected to sign the MOU later this week.

In a video released on Wednesday through his office, Augustine said the THA began a series of conversations with the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica, the first of which was led by the island’s chief technical officer in the Ministry of Community Development.

He said they learnt about Jamaica’s social programmes, in particular the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which began in 2008.

“All this is leading up to the MOU that we are to sign later this week, which will tie the University of Technology, Jamaica and the THA in terms of partnership for technical assistance in the rolling out of some of our programmes.

THA community development co-ordinator Michelle Burris, in a separate video, said the fund is geared primarily towards empowering communities through funding for grassroots projects and programmes in many different areas.

“There has been, over the years, a sense that from a government standpoint, persons are not being reached in terms of what they would like to see in their respective communities,” she said.

She said the CDF will let people "at the grassroots level" access funding through their area representatives to undertake small projects and programmes can be handled at the constituency or district level.

“What we are proposing to do is to mirror the CDF from Jamaica by the creation of the THA's own version of that, which is the electoral district development fund.”

In doing so, Burris said, the THA will adopt the principles of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s guidelines for CDFs.

Augustine stopped off in Jamaica after attending the Internationale Tourismus-Borse trade show in Berlin, Germany, from March 7-9.