Caribbean Council/British Expertise event: UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund...
Date and time
Refund policy
Description
We are pleased to welcome DFID Minister Baroness Verma, The Caribbean Council President Lord Foulkes (as George Foulkes a Labour DFID Minister under Clare Short) and other speakers to talk about the Caribbean Infrastrucure Fund, a £300 million fund announced by the Prime Minister during his visit to Jamaica in September.
The fund will be delivered in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank to support economic growth in the eight ODA-eligible Commonwealth countries in the region: Jamaica, Guyana, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua, St Vincent, plus the Overseas Territory of Montserrat.
Typical projects will include: highways and bridges; water treatment & storage; sea and river defences; port upgrades; solid waste management. In addition there will be an extra £30 million to strengthen hospital infrastructure to resist natural disasters (the Smart Hospitals programme), and an extra £30 million to help Government's in the region manage their public finances (the Skills for Growth programme). Further details of the fund can be found here
Agenda (subject to change)
10.30am-11.00am: Coffee upon arrival and networking
11.00am: Welcome remarks: Lord Foulkes, President of the Caribbean Council
11.05am: ‘The Caribbean Infrastructure Fund and its Objectives’ Baroness Verma, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development
11.20am: ‘The Role of the CDB and the procurement process for the Fund’ Warren Smith, President, Caribbean Development Bank (via video conference link)
11.45pm: Panel discussion and Q&A: Panellists to include: Baroness Verma, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development; Warren Smith, President, Caribbean Development Bank (via video conference link); Bo Sundstrom, Head of the Regional Development Banks Team, DFID; Andrew Dupigny, Manager UK CIF Fund, Caribbean Development Bank (via video conference link); Mr Douglas Fraser, Deputy Director Procurement, Caribbean Development Bank (via video conference link)
12.10pm: Supporting UK companies in the Caribbean
Panellists to include: Paul Carter, Head of Caribbean Team, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Eddie Malone, Head of Aid Funded Business, UKTI; Chris Bennett, Caribbean Council; Nigel Peters, British Expertise
12.40pm: Panel discussion and Q&A
12.55pm: Closing remarks, Lord Foulkes, President of the Caribbean Council
1.00pm-1.30pm Networking reception, including some Caribbean High Commissioners and Commercial Counsellors
Price
Non-members: £70 + VAT
With thanks to our Reception Sponsor: LIAT – The Caribbean Airline
