By the Caribbean Journal staff

St Lucia, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines will be part of the first phase of a 10-year Information and Communication Technology programme funded by the World Bank.

The Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Programme , which was approved by the World Bank’s Board of Directors this week, could provide as many as 27 million people in the Caribbean region with access to better and affordable broadband services.

St Lucia and St Vincent will receive $6 million credits, while Grenada will receive a $10 million credit and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union will obtain a $3 million credit.

The 10-year plan will include other Caribbean countries at a later stage.

“A sound regional connectivity and ICT-led innovation system is vital for the Caribbean region’s growth,” said Francoise Clottes, World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean. “This programme is a unique opportunity to put in place critical infrastructure and skills to capitalize on the transformative power of information and communication technologies to promote growth and open new job opportunities to Caribbean citizens.”

The credits from the International Development Association have a final maturity of 40 years, including a grace period of 10 years for Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.