Venezuelan-funded projects to commence in January

by Michael Bascombe

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, January 19, 2011 – Three Venezuelan-funded projects are expected to commence here this month, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Karl Hood.

In making his presentation to the 2011 Budget Debate on Wednesday, Mr Hood said that the second phase of the Hospital Project in St George’s; the main market square and a number of community projects including playing fields, upliftment programmes, community centre recreation activities and maintenance.

Two years ago Venezuela delivered on a promise and handed over 120 low cost houses to Grenada for distribution to persons displaced as a result of Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

Mr Hood said that following on the delimitation of boundaries with Trinidad and Tobago, Government will be pursuing areas of Ocean Management to maximise our marine resources.

“We will also be pursuing delimitations negotiations with Venezuela with whom we share common boundaries,” he said.

He noted Grenada’s leadership role among the 43-member Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and at the forefront of the struggle for climate justice and for positive outcomes at future summits of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Mr Hood, who also holds portfolios for Environment, Foreign Trade and Export Development, said that the Ministry has secured funding and will implement four Climate Change projects in 2011.

They include the World Bank supported Pilot Project on Climate Resilience; the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) project for Mainstreaming Climate Change in the Development Agenda; Water and Small Community Projects.

He said that the Ministry has submitted project proposals in excess of $30 million which are actively receiving consideration under various countries’ Adaptation Financing Programmes.