CANADA’S High Commissioner, Robert Ready, has denied suggestions that the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is withdrawing from Jamaica.

Ready said that since his arrival in Kingston last year, he has heard arguments that there is an impression that CIDA is pulling out of Jamaica.

“I am here to tell you that is not an accurate impression: CIDA is still very much engaged in and with Jamaica,” he told a meeting of the Rotary Club of Liguanea Plains, at Eden Gardens, Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston, last Thursday.

He pointed out that there has been a change in CIDA’s operations in Jamaica, in that the agency has reoriented its programming and no longer maintains a country to country development assistance programme here.

“However, it does maintain an important bilateral programme with the Caribbean region, as a whole, including Jamaica, through the Caribbean regional programme, and Jamaica and other CARICOM countries continue to benefit from participation in a CDN$600 milion, 10-year regional development programme announced by Prime Minister Harper in 2007,” he explained.

He noted that, through the Promotion of Regional Opportunities for Produce through Enterprises and Linkages PROPEL) project, the Canadian Hunger Foundation (CHF) will work with the Caribbean Farmers Network to enable regional farmers to increase the quality and quantity of fresh, regionally grown fruits and vegetables, and help the producers link with buyers, such as regional grocery chains, cruise lines, airlines, hotels, and restaurants.

He said that the project, which is supported by CIDA’s Caribbean Programme, will also enable producers to maintain internationally accepted food quality and safety standards. PROPEL’s initial focus will be on Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Guyana, and Barbados.

Additionally, the Community Disaster Risk Reduction project, which will be implemented by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and supported by CIDA’s Caribbean Programme, as well, will assist over 15 communities in managing and responding to natural disasters, thus mitigating the negative social and economic impact,

He said that beyond this type of regional programming, Jamaica also benefits from a limited number of country-specific projects, including CIDA’s four-year, CDN$17.8 million Justice Undertaking for Social Transformation (JUST) programme, which promotes justice reform and provides institutional capacity building.

He also noted that Jamaica can still benefit from other CIDA programmes including: the Inter-American Regional Programme; the International Humanitarian Assistance Programme; support to the CDB; and partnerships with Canadian programmes which support the efforts of selected Canadian organisations in developing countries.

He said that in 2010/11 CIDA’s total disbursements in Jamaica was CDN$9.6 million.

“This doesn’t sound like a withdrawal from Jamaica,” he commented.

Ready, known in diplomatic circles as ‘Randy’, has been Canada’s high commissioner to Jamaica since September 13, 2012. He succeeded Stephen Hallihan.

The Rotary Club of the Liguanea Plains, which is headed by Novlette Deans, president, received its charter from Rotary International in 2005.