THIS DAY IN OUR PAST

The following events took place on June 14 in the years identified:

1979: Michael Prime Minister Manley describes flood damaged devastation in western Jamaica as certainly one of the most horrendous natural disasters in Jamaica in modern times. He says he will soon be asking for outside assistance from any country from which he can get such aid, because of the enormity of the catastrophe. The prime minister says, however, that he will not be seeking foreign troops to assist in flood relief programmes and evacuations. He says the Jamaican security forces are well on top of this situation, and are coping well. Prime Minister Manley is on a tour of floodravaged sections of Montego Bay. He warns that exports are going to be hit hard by the thousands of acres of damaged sugar cane, bananas and other produce. Manley says the price tag for repairs to private and public property damaged on Tuesday, June 12 by a six-hour cloudburst will be high.

1994: Jamaica is one of eight countries worldwide which is approved for a five-year energy demonstration project. Some US$3.8 million out of a total of US$53 million is granted to Jamaica by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which is supported by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank. This is disclosed by Denise Tulloch, manager of the Jamaica Public Service Company’s (JPSCo) Demand Side Management Programme, who says the JPSCo will execute the project, providing some funds along with the Inter-American Development Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, Canadian Project Preparation Facility and the GEF at a total cost of US$12.5 million. Other countries targeted by the GEF are Thailand, Mali, Mexico, Peru, Tunisia, Mauritania and Zimbabwe. The Demand Side Management Programme seeks to reduce the cost of energy supplied to Jamaicans through the provision of technical assistance, monetary incentives and direct installation of equipment to consumers.