Constituency Development Fund approved

Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development, Senator Dr the Honourable Bhoendradatt Tewarie

August 02, 2012:  

Cabinet, earlier today, officially approved the establishment of the Constituency Development Fund which will provide the sum of $10 million to each constituency.

Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development, Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie made the announcement at the post-Cabinet media briefing which was held at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.

“We agreed to establish the fund to the provision of $410 million. That sum will be divided between the 41 constituencies. The fund will reside with the Ministry of Finance and Economy,” Tewarie explained.

He explained that each Member of Parliament will be responsible for identifying projects in their constituency, such as infrastructure.

Tewarie said as much as ten percent of the fund, or $1 million of the fund maybe used augment the first response mechanism in terms of assisting with situations of flooding, landslides or other natural disasters.

“The main object of this fund is to improve service delivery by the Government and the increase the effectiveness of representation.

“The fund will also take into consideration local and national policy framework in terms of local government transformation, and as such, transparency and accountability will also be administered.