By Vernon Daley, Staff ReporterIN AN effort to keep its budget tight, the Government has decided to abandon "Lift-Up Jamaica", its community-based employment programme.
Dr. Omar Davies, Finance and Planning Minister, made the disclosure during yesterday's sitting of the Standing Finance Committee, which is studying the 2003/2004 Estimates of Expenditure.
"There is no explicit provision for it," Dr. Davies said in response to questions raised by Olivia "Babsy" Grange, the JLP MP.
According to Miss Grange, the Government last year gave an assurance that funds would be earmarked to complete all projects which had been approved. "We were told, and the records will show, that a commitment was made that every project approved would be completed," she said.
Dr. Davies said that approved projects, which were carried over from last year would be funded but left little doubt that the "Lift-Up Jamaica" programme was one of the casualties of sharp budget cuts.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson launched the Lift-Up Jamaica programme in 1999 to restore the social and physical infrastructure of communities throughout Jamaica and to provide employment for 40,000 young people. It was originally scheduled to run for 18 months at a cost of $2.5 billion.
The programme which is administered through MPs and community groups, also places emphasis on training and socialisation to develop a strong work ethic in
young people. The Urban Development Corporation which carries out the programme, reported in October 2002, the completion of 480 projects with work continuing on another 135. It has also provided some 25,000 persons with employment.
During the last financial year, $750,000 was allocated to the programme compared to $800,000 the previous year.
At yesterday's sitting of the committee, it emerged also that there was no allocation in this year's budget for establishing public service broadcasting.
"The commitment remains but this year there is no allocation for it," the Finance Minister said.
Dr. Davies was responding to queries raised by Miss Grange about the promised public broadcasting service which would provide educational and entertainment programmes not carried by the commercial media.
"Where is the little seed in the budget to get it going," Ms Grange asked, arguing that the budget note indicated that the programme would be established this year.
Miss Grange, and her JLP colleague, Audley Shaw, contended that the note should be struck from the Estimates if there was no allocation made to the programme.
Maxine Henry-Wilson, Minister of Education, said that despite the absence of funds, the programme was not dead. She said efforts would continue to use the community channel on cable television providers to carry out the objectives of a public service broadcasting service.
