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HOME	AUGUST 28th, 2005

Grenada has received $EC30.3 million (9.3 million Euros) from the European Commission (EC) to assist in the rehabilitation of schools on the island that were damaged as a result of the passage of hurricane Ivan last September. An agreement for the disbursement of the funds was signed Tuesday at Cabinet Room in St. George's between the EC and the Grenada government.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell signed the agreement on behalf of the government while Ambassador Amos Tincani did so for and on behalf of the Europeans.

The project will be executed under a special co-financing agreement, with the World Bank being in charge of the technical and financial implementation of the project while the Ministry of Education will act as the implementing agency.

It will be carried out over a three year period and entails the funding of civil works, supply of furniture, school supplies and other activities aimed at rehabilitating educational facilities on the island Approximately 20 primary and secondary schools are earmarked to benefit under this project. In speaking at the ceremony, Education Minister Claris Charles gave a detailed account of the extent of the damage to schools by hurricane Ivan.

She pointed out that from the 58 primary schools, 20 secondary and 74 pre-schools, most of them were affected in one way or the other. Minister Charles said that although assistance for schools are coming in from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as well as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) a lot more help is needed in terms of securing furniture and other equipment.

The Education Minister noted that schools have been operating over the past year under difficult conditions. She expressed gratitude for the assistance, noting that the plan by the Ministry is to improve the conditions under which education is delivered.

Head of Delegation European Commission in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Amos Tincani disclosed that the $30.3 million marks the end of the EC assistance to Grenada in the aftermath of hurricane Ivan. He pointed out that in the post emergency reconstruction programme, government has identified the rehabilitation of school facilities as a priority area of intervention and asked the EC to assist the country in that area.

Ambassador Tincani stated that beside the package given for schools, immediately following the passage of Ivan, the EC through its Humanitarian Aid Office provided an aid package of $EC9.8 million that was earmarked for emergency relief and post-emergency rehabilitation. The European Envoy noted that assistance is also given in the areas of agriculture rehabilitation and water management.

The Europeans have also promised help to the island in the area of business rehabilitation dealing specifically with information technology as well as budgetary support.