Britain’s Prime Minister

The saying, “it never rains, but it pours” certainly applies to Jamaica given the number of foreign dignitaries who have visited the country over the past year.

Photo Credit: Jamaica Observer - David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. — Photo Credit: Jamaica Observer – David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

The latest being David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Not only are foreign diplomats trekking to the country, but they are also bringing with them a lot of spoils.

Prime Minister David Cameron on his visit announced the establishment of a £300 million grant fund to finance infrastructure projects across the Caribbean, including Jamaica.

Speaking at the end of bilateral discussions with host, Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, at Jamaica House, Cameron said the money “could help to unleash trade across the region, with new roads, new bridges, and new port infrastructure to help speed up freight movements.”

Seeking to capitalize on marketing opportunities for British firms, the Prime Minister said he was confident that they had “the knowledge and expertise,” to deliver these infrastructure improvements.

“This will make the United Kingdom the largest bilateral donor to the region, and I hope it is proof of our renewed commitment to the region and to Jamaica,” he said.

Mr. Cameron also announced that the UK will finance the construction of a new prison in Jamaica at a cost of £25 million.

He explained that this facility will, among other things, facilitate the transfer of Jamaicans, currently incarcerated in the United Kingdom, back to their homeland, to complete serving their sentence.