Energy
ears after the Petro Caribe oil alliance was launched by Venezuela with 14 Caribbean nations signing up, the now former Chairman of Petro Caribe Grenada Ltd. Jerome Joseph, remains positive about the benefits of the island’s energy deal with the Government of Venezuela. 60 year old Joseph, who was appointed Chairman of Petro Caribe Grenada Ltd by the previous Government says, seven years after Grenada signed on, peoples lives are getting better and the general standard of living on the island is improving. According to Joseph, households with children up and down the island are benefitting from Petro Caribe. “The Grenada School Books program is funded entirely by Petro Caribe grant fund Money. The school feeding program is also funded in the same way. “Last year we had an “Energy for the poor” project where between The ministry of social development and the energy department, they identified a number of people who are energy poor. In effect they are unable to purchase cooking gas so use firewood and cook in facilities that are very poor. Petro Caribe was approached for funding in terms of purchase of stoves and distribution to those identified as “Energy poor” to give them an opportunity to continue to improve their standard of living.” He says the government intends to shift in to high gear with a second level of this project, after assessing the impact of the initial phase. “We found that certain individuals and families were living in such poor conditions that they did not have space for a stove so we were finding that they needed a total housing upgrade to accommodate a kitchen because there is no point giving someone a stove and they have nowhere to put it other than outside in the yard, So we see that there will be an increased number of beneficiaries from Petro Caribe funding.” Joseph maintains that the social aspect of the Petro Caribe deal, in the form of nation building is a huge success. There is also a positive environmental impact to this, as people move away from cutting down trees for use as firewood.
Y
Petro Caribe is often defined as the oil deal or energy cooperation agreement offered by Venezuela to Caribbean nations recognizing the need to secure future energy supplies. The 18 Caribbean and Latin American countries that have signed to the agreement, buy their oil from Venezuela. Member countries are allo vVBF????B'B?bF?V?"&W??V?BFW&?2??fW'???r??FW&W7B??G2&W?B?fW"#R?V'2B??RW"6V?B??FW&W7B?R??V?FW"F?R#Rw&VV?V?B6&?&&V?6?V?G&?W2&R???vVBF?'W?WF??R?&'&V?2?b???W"F??BF?W?6??'B?bF?R6?7Bv?F?v??G2?B6W'f?6W2?fV?W?VV??2'B?b?T2?B?2F?W&Vf?&R?&?vVBF?6V??gVV?B7W'&V?B?&?WB&?6W2?( ?F?W?&Rf?&6VBF?6V??BF??2&?6R'WBF?R76?7F?6R6??W2??F?Rf?&??bF?R6??6W76???'?FW&?2?b??V?B??v??6?vR&R&?RF?W&6?6R?( ?W????2??6W??( ??6????F?W"?6?F?fR7V7BF?B?2??B?gFV??V&B??2F?B'B?bF?Rw&VV?V?B?2F?B?F???2v??'F?6?FR??2&R7F?fV?V?6?W&vVBF?BV6?6?V?G'???fW7G2??FWfV????rF?V?"?v?V?W&w?&W6?W&6W2v?F???F?V?"?v?6?V?G'???B6VV?2??R6??G&F?7F????'WBfV?W?VV??2v&RF?B??G&?6&&??2v?????B?7Bf?&WfW"?BF?W?&R?&VG?f6??r&?&?V?2?VWF??rF?RFV??B?6?F?W?&RV?6?W&v??r?Bv???6??W&FRv?F?6?V?G&?W2v?6???rF?W???&R?FW&?F?fRV?W&v?W2?vR?fRF?B6???F?V?Bg&??F?V??( ???6W?W????2???7B6?v??f?6?F?f?"w&V?F?WG&?6&?&R?2??f??fVB??6WfW&?6?6??FWfV???V?B&??V7G2?&?f?F??rF?&V7B76?7F?6RF??V?&W"?b&??V7G2??F?R?6??B???FF?F????w&V?F&V6V?fW2w&?BgV?F??rg&??F?RfV?W?VV??v?fW&??V?BF?F?RGV?R?bs?????F???'2WF?#"?( ?W&R??w&V?FvR?fRcF?27&VF?B??v??6?vR&R?&?vFVBF??f?"??bF?RF???"f?VR?b?W"?&FW"?F?R&??6R?2F?V?GVRBfW'???r??FW&W7B??fW"#2?V"W&??B?F?W&R?2"?V"w&6RW&??Bg&??FV?fW'?F?f?'7B??V?G26?vR&R??6?GVF???v?W&RvR?fR66?7W'?W2v??6?v?W2F?v?fW&??V?Bv??6???rW6RF??2???W?f?"?V?&W"?b6?6??FWfV???V?B&?w&?2F?BF?W?FWFW&??R?wwr?'W6??W76w&V?F?6???c??