Montserrat’s Hon. Premier Donaldson Romeo recently signed an grant agreement from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for the financing of the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) ninth programme.
The grant signing follows notification from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) indicating that contributors to the Special Development Fund (SDF9) approved a USD780,000 grant to the Government of Montserrat.
The BNTF programmes support a socially inclusive development process that empowers the poor and vulnerable, and supports institutional development.
BNTF’s ninth cycle was approved in March 2017, and will run until December 31, 2020.
Premier Romeo said, “We are extremely appreciative of the CDB and the Contributors for providing this support, which will contribute to development efforts, aimed at improving the quality of life for the people of Montserrat.” He noted that the CDB and the Government of Montserrat has a longstanding partnership resulting in development and economic benefits for the island.
The grant, from the CDB’s Special Funds Resources will assist in the financing of a project to improve access to quality education, water and sanitation, basic community access and drainage; livelihoods enhancement and human resource development in low-income and vulnerable communities. This will be done through sub-projects with project management support and project implementation support.
Over the years, BNTF programmes have contributed positively to Montserrat’s development efforts. Some of the programmes funded under previous BNTF cycles include, the construction of the Abbatoir in Brades; the Barzey’s Community Road Rehabilitation and the Drummonds Community Road Rehabilitation, among others.
