Above: Culture Minister Lisa Hanna (JIS Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica’s Cabinet has overhauled its Jamaica 50 Programme with what it says is a lower budget than under the previous administration.

Jamaica 50 is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its independence.

The budget of the programme is now projected at approximately $7.93 million USD, according to Culture Minister Lisa Hanna.

“[The programme] was on no foundation,” Hanna said. “It was a list of events without financial support. It was not backed. What we’ve had to do in the last eight weeks is put a programme together and get it financed.”

Hanna said the the government had needed to get merchandising licences in place, register the Jamaica 50 trademark overseas and meet with the private sector on developing a marketing plan, among other things.

Jamaica’s Opposition could not be reached for comment.

She also said that certain international events at the London Olympics had no budgetary allocations, with no financing presented.

“The programme as was then outlined was unwieldy, lacked focus, and essentially was generally a listing of projects, events and ideas falling under categories official and endorsed,” she said.

The campaign to kick off the celebratory period will begin in mid-April, according to Hanna.

The private sector will be providing approximately $2.2 million, with the public sector providing approximately $4.6 million.