US government increases investment in Jamaica to US$34 million

The United States government will increase its commitment to Jamaica, providing US$34 million for violence reduction, human trafficking prevention, cybersecurity, energy security, and economic development initiatives.

Ambassador Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of state for political affairs, provided details at the recent US-Jamaica Strategic Dialogue at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in downtown Kingston.

According to Nuland, the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has committed to doubling its budget for Jamaica, providing US$3.5 million in annual support to combat crime and homicide, and is set to go into effect next year.

She said the Jamaican government successfully extradited 23 wanted criminals to the US for serious and violent offences such as murder, drug trafficking, abuse, and financial scams with the assistance of US law enforcement.

Nuland said strengthening data collection and sharing with US authorities will better safeguard individuals, and enhance Jamaican law enforcement’s ability to acquire and keep fingerprints for use in criminal investigations.

She also shared that their Trafficking in Persons Office has committed US$7 million to help Jamaica combat child trafficking through the Child Protection Compact Partnership.

The United States has also invested US$3.5 million to strengthen Jamaica's cybersecurity capacity and position the country as a regional leader. In addition, US$20 million will be funded through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to boost the economy and drive local economic growth to help in providing young Jamaicans with better opportunities.

According to Nuland, the Jamaica-US relationship will also help with climate adaptation, strengthening energy security, and the development of clean energy initiatives.