The works are part of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Sites and Services Project, which involves a $2.23 million EC contract for infrastructural development at Soubise and a $2.28 million EC contract for Mt. Gay. The funds are provided from the Inter American Development Bank through a CDB loan to the Government of Grenada.

The contracts were awarded to China Jiangsu Construction Group Corporation of Nanjing, Peoples Republic of China.

ARD Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Richardson Andrews, signed on behalf of the ARD, while Mr. Cheng Jun Ding, Deputy Manager of China Jiangsu Construction Group Corporation, signed on behalf of the Corporation.

Mr. Andrews explained that the two Human Settlements are major projects that the Government of Grenada is undertaking for housing development, as part of the reconstruction process. The development at Soubise will provide 84 housing units. In the first instance, fishing families living in vulnerable conditions in Soubise will be accommodated, as well as families in Moon Shadow Park, among others.

The Mt. Gay development will provide 140 housing units.

With the contracts signed, work is scheduled to commence on the two sites before yearend. The Corporation will have a 10 member team of engineers and managers in Grenada and will recruit workers locally. Mr. Jun Ding said the Corporation expects to hire between 40 to 50 local workers. The infrastructural works include roads, drains, retaining walls and utility services, as well as a bridge at Mt. Gay.

Mr. Andrews added that priority will be given to the bridge at Mt. Gay, which will facilitate traffic for Cricket World Cup 2007.

The CDB Sites and Services Project is coordinated by a Project Steering Committee with ARD appointed by the CDB as Project Coordinator. The Committee includes representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Social Development, Housing Authority of Grenada, Physical Planning Unit of the Ministry of Finance and the Lands and Surveys Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry and Fisheries.