Page 14 - JSIF Magazine Approved-v2-web4

The Most Hon. Edward Phillip George Seaga, ON, PC

Former Prime Minister

A unique programme was launched 20 years ago in Jamaica served but for the efficiency of the programme in completing
to carry out projects of a moderate size to deal with the needs the projects within budget and time. In this respect. JSIF has
of communities. It was called the Jamaica Social Investment shone like a beacon of effectiveness and propriety compared
Fund (JSIF). JSIF is financed by a number of multilateral with other major public works programmes.
financial institutions, including the World Bank, European Union
and the Caribbean Bank, as well as other institutions. JSIF is, without contradiction, one of the most successful
programmes in the public sector of Jamaica. Indeed, I have no
In Jamaica, JSIF became active in: schools (Primary, All-Age and hesitation in saying that there is unanimous support politically
Basic), community water systems, roads, health centres (Type for its accomplishments. If anything is missing, it is only that it
1& 2), capacity building, skills training, alternative livelihoods should be much larger than it is.
training, GSAT classes, homework centres, sanitation, agro- I have the greatest respect for all those who piloted this
processing facilities, and agro-processing training, provision of programme to prove that public works can be efficiently,
equipment, sports facilities and solid waste management. honestly and beneficially done.

All of these served communities which were in great need. It is I wish JSIF many, many more anniversaries.
not hard to understand how over the past 20 years some 1,700
of such projects were implemented to the great satisfaction
of thousands of residents whose needs had been unfulfilled
for years, particularly schools, community water supplies and
roads.

The popularity of JSIF stemmed not only from the needs it

14