St Helena : DFID to Visit St Helena
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 14.05.2011 (Article Archived on 28.05.2011)
On Island discussions will shortly take place between the St Helena Government and the Department For International Development on future funding for the Island. Existing funding has been approved until the end of July,
DFID to Visit St Helena
On Island discussions will shortly take place between the St Helena Government and the Department For International Development on future funding for the Island. Existing funding has been approved until the end of July, and the upcoming discussions will concentrate on how much the Island seeks for the remaining eight months of the financial year, and how much of this DFID can afford to provide.
Discussions will take place from 16 to 25 May when a team from DFID will visit St Helena. The team is to include Garth Armstrong, Economic Adviser, Susan Adcock, Deputy Programme Manager, Drew Tetlow, Governance Advisor and Dr Mary Thompson, Human Development Leader. Eddie Palmer, DFID Representative will also be a member of the DFID team.
From St Helena’s side, Councillors will for the very first time, lead the discussions on what the Island needs and plans the Island has for the future. To this end, Elected Members have selected three members to represent the council. These include Councillors Tara Thomas, Chair of the Economy and Finance Committee, Rodney Buckley the Deputy Chair of the Natural Resources, Development and Environment Committee and Cyril Gunnell, Chair of the Health and Social Welfare Committee. Paul Blessington, Financial Secretary, and Susan O’Bey, Director of Strategic Policy and Planning will also be involved in these talks.
Largely, discussions will be centered on economic growth and how air access will help to achieve it.
Paul Blessington, Financial Secretary, said that early discussions with DFID on their upcoming visit indicate that grant in aid funding will be very tight this year, due to the ongoing financial crisis. However, SHG is still welcoming the DFID visit to discuss what can be achieved through the SHG and DFID partnership.
While on the Island, the DFID team will also meet with other Councillors ,officials and representatives of the private sector to discuss work they have been doing and plans for the future.
The discussions will conclude with the signing of an aide memoire. This will contain details on the finances that DFID will hope to make available, and how this money will be used to move St Helena forward.
Public Relations/Information Office
The Secretariat
12 May 2011
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