The African Development Bank (ADB) has granted three donations to Cape Verde to a total amount of US$3.5 million to promote agriculture, investment and poverty reduction in the country, the Ministry of Finance said this week, according to a report from local newspaper A Semana.

The Ministry said the three donations would enable the Government to provide funds for the general census of agriculture (US$1.19 million) and for a project on the promotion of economic efficiency and investment (US$1.16 million).

The third project is the Survey of Families’ Income and Expenditure and the drafting of the country’s Poverty Profile, to be carried out as soon as possible by the National Statistics Institute. The project cost is estimated at US$1.17 million.

Lamine N’Dongo, ADB’s regional representative, and Cape Verde’s Finance Minister, Cristina Duarte, signed the agreements on Tuesday.

The ADB’s mission also aimed to assess ways of assisting people affected by the volcanic eruption on the island of Fogo, and to discuss the progress of implementation of the country’s development strategy.