WRITTEN BY: ALECIA SMITH – JAMAICA INFORMATION SERVICE

The proposed development of the New Negril Area over the next 20 years is expected to result in the creation of additional resort rooms, attracting more than 1.6 million tourists per year, with the potential to generate annual revenues of over US$218.8 million.

It is also expected to create 31,552 direct jobs and a similar amount indirectly over the medium to long-term.

This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Everald Warmington, while making his contribution to the 2021/22 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (May 5).

He noted that this anticipated development falls under the draft New Negril Master Plan, which the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has completed at the request of Cabinet.

“The New Negril Master Plan will provide the strategic direction for the management and growth of the area over the next 20 years… the plan was developed at a cost of $38 million and prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and other stakeholders,” Mr. Warmington said

The plan proposes densities of 75 habitable rooms per hectare inland and plot area ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 at selected areas along the coastline. This is expected to create an additional 19,357 resort rooms.

“The boundary of the Master Plan area stretches south-westerly from the community of Esher in the north (adjacent to Lucea) to the parish border of Hanover and Westmoreland. It is approximately 58.62 square kilometres in size, with a coastline spanning 37.9 km inclusive of several bays and coves. The study area boundary extends approximately 5.5 kilometres inwards from the coastline in some sections,” Mr. Warmington informed.

He noted that the objective of the Master Plan is to make the New Negril Area a model 21^st century community, by creating a smart, sustainable and resilient technology-driven inclusive community where opportunities are created for every member of the community to improve their quality of life in a meaningful and sustainable manner.

“This will be achieved through the diversification of tourism products, stimulating economic growth and job creation, improving the social amenities and physical infrastructure while preserving the natural and fragile ecology of the area without compromising the opportunities for future generations,” Mr. Warmington said.

WRITTEN BY: CHRIS PATTERSON – JAMAICA INFORMATION SERVICE

The Government is moving to finalise the Policy for the Sustainable Management of Government-Owned Residential Properties.

This was stated by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Everald Warmington, while making his contribution to the 2021/22 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 5.

He said that finalisation of the policy is pending receipt of comments from the National Land Agency (NLA).

Minister Warmington pointed out that the Government owns many residential-type properties, and the policy measure will support the Government’s obligation to provide an adequate and well-maintained residential unit to meet its housing obligations to certain categories of workers.

“The public service employs thousands of persons across ministries, departments and agencies. Persons move constantly based on where it is determined they are needed. The housing of certain categories of workers, especially when they move say from parish to parish, sometimes causes undue challenges,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the Minister informed the House that public consultations will be targeted on the revised draft National Land Policy during the 2021/22 Financial Year.

He said that the policy has been undergoing further amendment prior to being re-submitted for approval as a Green Paper.

WRITTEN BY: LATONYA LINTON – JAMAICA INFORMATION SERVICE

The National Works Agency (NWA) is projecting to spend $4.7 billion this fiscal year (2021/22) to undertake recurrent activities, which is a marginal increase over last year’s budget of $4.5 billion.

These activities include emergency repairs to roads, river-training activities, the cleaning of gullies, islandwide disaster mitigation, bridge development and construction, the maintenance of secondary roads as well as traffic management and control.

The projected capital budget is estimated at $17.4 billion, representing the amount currently required for works being undertaken on the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project.

This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Everald Warmington, during his contribution to the 2021/22 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 5.

The Minister noted that the Agency’s operational budget for this year is likely to be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

As it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Warmington said specific outcomes or consequences are not yet known, because the outcomes will largely be determined based on the terms of individual contracts as well as how the pandemic develops.

He said anticipated impacts will likely include claims for extension of time and price adjustments or fluctuation costs.

As it relates to the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which is predicted to be similarly active to that of 2020, the National Works Agency has proposed its annual Pre-Hurricane Mitigation Programme, valued at almost $101 million.

“The programme is one that is implemented annually in the months preceding the season, which starts on June 1 and which consists of the cleaning of critical drains and the debushing of identified corridors in a bid to prevent flooding and other adverse effects of persistent rainfall,” Mr. Warmington said.

He pointed out that the programme is designed on a constituency basis and will address critical drains in all 63 constituencies, adding that works on this programme will begin as soon as all the relevant approvals have been received.

“I again urge each and every Jamaican to own their little space and in the process help us to keep our drains and waterways clear of impediments. Jamaica is a beautiful island that does not need drains to be used as dumps and waterways to be robbed of naturally protective elements, which then put many lives at risk,” Mr. Warmington said.

Written by: Rochelle Williams – Jamaica Information Service

Construction is to commence on several projects during the 2021/22 financial year, which will provide approximately 400 acres of additional special economic zone (SEZ) space at an estimated value of more than US$1.3 billion.

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Everald Warmington made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2021/22 Sectoral debate in the House of Representatives on May 5.

He said that the projects comprise approximately 250 acres of mixed-use facilities, including data centres and petrochemical and logistics industries.

These include Grand Ridge in Montego Bay, a 65-acre zone with commercial, educational, medical/pharmaceutical and commercial industries; a 26-acre film studio and post-production facility in Trelawny; and the Seaview Eco-Industrial Park in the Seaview/Riverton area.

Minister Warmington said that the business confidence in the SEZ model, which was established as an economic stimulus strategy, continues to grow, with heightened local and foreign investor interest in a wide cross-section of traditional as well as new and emerging industries.

He noted that at the end of March 2020, a total of 131 of 134 approved free zone entities, representing 98 per cent, had transitioned to the new SEZ regime.

This number, together with the 52 new SEZ developers, who entered into licensing agreements with the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA), brought the complement of SEZ entities to 183. This represents a growth trajectory of 30 per cent for the new regime.

“With these SEZ entities coming on stream, the Government of Jamaica has earned an increase in revenue from $22 million in 2019 to a reported $381 million in June 2020,” he pointed out.

Furthermore, he noted these additions to the SEZ landscape have translated into approximately 50,391 new jobs in the information and communications technology and business process outsourcing (BPO), agribusiness, logistics and fuel sectors.

“Preliminary data suggest that after all the current SEZ projects in the pipeline have been processed and approved, the total employment numbers should spiral to approximately 65,000, with the majority of the recipients being women,” Mr. Warmington said.

The SEZs are spread across 11 parishes with the aim of stimulating development of commercial and logistical infrastructure to catalyse the economy islandwide.

Jamaica’s SEZs embrace a range of services, including training, incubation space, warehousing and distribution, logistics, manufacturing, assembly, and production facilities.

Currently, the regime boasts 26.6 million square feet of designated SEZ area. There are 12 new zones under construction in a variety of industries, totalling 1.1 million square feet of committed space.

This represents US$660.6 million of direct investment and the addition of 30,226 new jobs, based on investor projection.

The National Land Agency (NLA) is encouraging Jamaicans to trust the process of systematic land registration being undertaken by the agency and allow it to work for their benefit.

The process aims to assist persons in obtaining the titles for property they have lived on undisturbed and undisputed for upwards of 12 years.

“Systematic land registration is new; it is revolutionary; it is different from……..Click Here for full story on JIS website.

In the last four years, Vanesia Reid repeatedly walked to her community’s St. Andrew South Constituency Office to ask for assistance in getting a house, which she was in dire need of.

Her persistence paid off, as on February 11, she received the keys to her new two-bedroom house, which was constructed under the National Social Housing Programme (NSHP), at a cost of J$9,471,005.

The keys were handed over by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness during……..Click Here for full story on JIS website.

Chief Technical Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Yaneke Watson, says the Government is committed to increasing access to irrigation services in order to ensure a competitive and productive agricultural sector.

“The Government of Jamaica is cognizant that the role of irrigation and water management in increasing food production is essential and………