Minister Humphrey endorses new urban transformation fund

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey, has welcomed the African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) commitment to contribute US$3.5 million (BDS$7 million) to a soon-to-be-established urban transformation fund. This initiative aims to enhance the lives of City residents through infrastructural and community improvements.

Speaking on the sidelines of Tuesday’s Data in Action: Youth Data Literacy as a Tool for Change workshop—hosted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) at UN House—Humphrey described the investment as a positive development for the community.

“I think it is a very good thing; if you cast your minds back though, this is not a new approach by the government. We said that we were going to do planning gains whenever we were engaged in these major constructions. A planning gain essentially is where a person is doing major work of that kind, then takes on responsibilities for improving the houses closer to the construction. That is the government’s policy.

“In relation to the Afreximbank and the proposal to support the houses in the neighbourhood, of course I am happy about that,” he said. (SB)