UK Financial Aid Mission Delegation

On Saturday, 14 January 2023, representatives from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will arrive at St Helena to continue Financial Aid Mission (FAM) discussions. The FAM takes place annually, and is an opportunity to review the delivery and effectiveness of the FCDO’s Financial Aid Programme in St Helena.

This is the first in-person FAM since 2019 and the FCDO visit is the second part of this year’s FAM. The first part of the FAM took place remotely in December 2022, with the upcoming visit from FCDO officials providing an opportunity to engage and seek feedback in person from Ministers and Elected Members, government portfolios, the private and third sectors, and members of the public.

The Financial Aid Programme is one of the principal mechanisms that ensures the essential needs of St Helena are met. The 2022-23 Financial Aid Programme is a one year programme with a value of £31.79m. Financial Aid is integrated into SHG’s budget and delivers essential public services and capital investment.

The visit has three key aims:

  • to collect key information on the existing programme (and previous Financial Aid programmes);
  • to review progress on the key reforms and priority areas already agreed between SHG and FCDO; and
  • to work collaboratively towards a new budget settlement.

The FCDO team will be on-Island for one week and have a full schedule of engagements planned.

On the visit, Chief Minister Julie Thomas said:

“These discussions are critical to St Helena and will help us to determine what strategic policies and activities will be possible to implement in the coming years. This Government has set out its priorities in our Strategy and Vision document. Our ambition is to create a sustainable environment that creates opportunity and inspires social and economic progress, ensuring a better quality of life for all. We will be working closely with colleagues in FCDO to ensure that the financial settlement will go some way in enabling us to achieve our targets.”

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SHG

11 January 2023

St Helena Government Communications Hub

Telephone: 22470
Email: communications@sainthelena.gov.sh