STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
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VALCACO File
Agricultural Fair
I recall that during yesterday’s plenary session, the progress of the VALCACO initiative, led by Ms. Kora BERNABE, was discussed.
For the record, the matter in question concerns a €45,000 grant that was awarded to this organization during the previous term of office, by a resolution dated November 17, 2015, for the establishment of the cocoa industry in Martinique.
Pursuant to an agreement signed between the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique and the VALCACO Association on May 27, 2016, an advance payment of €22,500 was made. It had one year to request payment of the remaining balance of the grant, which was to be paid upon presentation of the financial statements and accounting documents certified and approved by the General Meeting.
The March 5, 2018, more than a year later, the Association requested an extension to allow it to complete its program and receive the remaining grant funds. However, the agreement had already expired. A new decision was therefore needed to allow the Collectivité to pay out the remaining funds.
In order to approve the request, the executive advisor in charge of this matter requested, during the coordination meeting held on April 19, 2018, that supporting documentation be provided to verify that the program for which the grant had been awarded had actually been carried out.
The requested documents were submitted to the department on April 30, 2018.
The dossier has now been finalized and is scheduled to be reviewed at the next Executive Board meeting, this Thursday, June 7, 2018.
Regarding the Agricultural Show held on the 1ster, on June 2 and 3, I would like to note here that this initiative, which dates back to 2016, stems from the joint efforts of the President of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique and the President of the Chamber of Agriculture, Mr. Daniel BERTHOME.
We have had to postpone this event twice:
1 – due to inclement weather (2017),
2 – due to administrative and technical constraints.
In March 2018, I personally reached out to the President of the Chamber of Agriculture, who reiterated his interest in holding this event this year: I felt it was essential that, in this initiative, we work on behalf of agriculture but in collaboration with the farmers’ designated representatives.
A technical committee composed of administrative staff from the CTM and the Chamber of Agriculture reported directly to me on the organization's progress.
For the event itself, more than a hundred staff members—from both the CTM and the Chamber of Agriculture—were mobilized over the three days.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all of them for their dedication and professionalism in organizing the fair and ensuring its success.
I would also like to thank the exhibitors who placed their trust in us, because contrary to the comments that have been reported and circulated here and there, the President did not exclude anyone.
Finally, I would also like to thank the people of Martinique, who turned out in large numbers and made this event a true success, with more than 24,000 visitors.
Alfred Marie-Jeanne
Chairman of the Executive Council of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique
Source: http://www.collectivitedemartinique.mq/valcaco-matnik-agri-intervention-dalfred-marie-jeanne-en-pleniere/
