ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2010: On December 5th 2010, the Executive Board of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) approved funding for Grenada’s Market Access and Rural Enterprise Development Programme (MAREP), which is expected to become effective in February 2011. With this approval, IFAD will make available to Grenada, a loan of three million USD dollars / eight million, one hundred and fifty thousand Eastern Caribbean dollars, on ordinary terms. MAREP will be jointly funded by the Government of Grenada, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and IFAD. The total cost of the project is estimated to be USD $7.5 million / ECD $20.376 million. The Government of Grenada’s contribution is estimated to be USD$ 2.227 million, CDB USD $2 million, IFAD USD$ 3 million and beneficiaries contribution of $270 thousand USD. MAREP’s main goal is to contribute to the reduction of rural poverty and vulnerability of rural young unemployed or self employed men and women in 50 rural communities in Grenada and Carriacou. The programme’s objective is to increase the income of rural young and unemployed or self employed men and women. The recruitment process to fill all relevant positions is already in progress. Interested persons can go to www.gov.gd/vacancies; www.bb.undp.org/related-links or call the Ministry of Finance, Economic and Technical Cooperation Department for further information on the project.