More than 12,000 Jamaicans are expected to benefit from further work to be carried out under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), valued at $630m (£379m).

Each of the Caribbean island’s 63 constituencies has been allocated $10m for project development in construction and/or repairs to roads, retaining walls, drains and pavements.

The work is due to begin next week and forms part of activities facilitated through the JEEP’s component of the Major Infrastructure Development Programme (MIDP).

The MIDP is largely funded through a facility from the Chinese government and the China Harbour Engineering Company is the main contractor for the overall programme, supported by a number of local sub-contractors.

JEEP is one of the Jamaican government’s strategies set up to counter unemployment among those Jamaicans mainly in lower socio-economic groups. It forms part of the Government’s priority focus on employment opportunities.

According to JEEP project director Lucille Brodber, 42,000 Jamaicans have been employed through the programme since it was established in 2012.