A project under which the Cuban Government donated about four million fluorescent light bulbs to Jamaicans may end up costing Jamaica $240 million.

Sources told the Observer last night that minister of energy, mining and telecommunications, Clive Mullings, will make a statement to Parliament today detailing the problems with the programme.

It is understood that although the bulbs were donated by Cuban President Fidel Castro and approximately 100 Cubans were assigned to assist in their distribution, it could end up costing the Government $240 million.

The project, called the 4M Project, was initiated on a gesture from Castro to former minister of energy and MP for East Kingston and Port Royal, Phillip Paulwell.

Paulwell distributed more than 83,000 bulbs free of cost to his constituents, as well as some residents of East Rural St Andrew. He then negotiated with the Cuban Government an expansion of the project to include some four million bulbs for households islandwide.

The programme was assigned to Paulwell's junior minister, Kern Spencer, and 100 Cubans assigned to distribute the bulbs.

Spencer told the Senate last year that Jamaica saved some $169 million from the donation.

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