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Strong partnership for development between Jamaica and World Bank

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LAC), completed yesterday an official visit to Jamaica, where she reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to assist the government led by Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

“I am very pleased with the visit of Pamela Cox and her team. Through discussions with the Prime Minister, the Government of Jamaica expressed the priority areas in which it would seek assistance from the World Bank,” said Finance Minister Audley Shaw.

During her two-day visit, Vice-President Cox met with Prime Minister Golding and Finance Minister Shaw. She also met with leaders from the private sector and representatives of civil society, and interacted with other senior government officials, the diplomatic community, donors based in Kingston, project implementing agencies, and the Jamaican media.

“Meeting with the people and listening to them about how Bank-supported projects are helping to change their lives is rewarding and help us to continue our mission”, said Pamela Cox. “We look forward to continue supporting Jamaica in its quest to achieve higher levels of development,” she added.

Accompanied by the Finance Minister, the Cox had the opportunity to visit some of the projects and programs financed by the Bank. Among the sites visited was the Green Park Primary and Junior High School in Clarendon, where they were hosted by School Principal Mr. O’Neil Ankle, Jamaica’s 2007 Principal of the Year.

Green Park School students benefit from the Program of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), a Bank-supported project. In Clarendon, Cox witnessed the positive impact that the Social Safety Net project and its conditional cash transfers are having on the lives of more than 240,000 people throughout Jamaica, of which 70 percent are children..

She also spent time interacting with teachers, students and their parents all of whom benefit from the Reform of Secondary Education II (ROSE) project. ROSE is improving the quality and equity of secondary education and is expanding access to upper secondary education. She also visited the HIV/AIDS project which focuses on prevention, treatment, care and support of those affected by the disease.

The delegation led by Cox, also visited the Inner Cities Basic Services project in Jones Town, one of the poorest areas of the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area. Accompanied by staff of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), the project’s implementing agency, she met with local beneficiaries and toured community centers and recreational facilities built by the project. The US$ 32.8 million Inner Cities Basic Services project seeks to help improve the social, economic and physical conditions of inner city communities, through a community-driven development approach.

Throughout her visit to Jamaica, Ms. Cox was accompanied by Yvonne Tsikata, Director for the Caribbean, and Evangeline Javier, Human Development Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The World Bank currently has six projects in Jamaica totaling US$117.4 million.

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