The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) is working to revise the Policy Framework and Procedures Manual for the Privatisation of Government Assets during this financial year, which will be brought to the Cabinet.

Acting Investment, Projects and Implementation Manager of the Economic Policy and Investment Branch, Joanne Felix, made the disclosure on the MEGJC 360 programme.

The Privatisation Policy, as it is commonly called, addresses the transfer of government assets, shares, or operational responsibilities to the private sector. It establishes a four-stage process that must be observed and the institutional framework for privatisation transactions.

The Privatisation Policy is being implemented by the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), which is the GoJ’s designated Privatisation Agency.

Meanwhile, Ms. Felix pointed to several achievements of the Economic Policy and Investment Branch, which includes facilitating the revision of the Public/Private Partnership Policy for Jamaica.

“One of the major goals of that revision was to incorporate climate risk assessment as part of the appraisal process for PPPs (Public Private Partnerships) and that’s just one of the many ways that Jamaica is streamlining climate change considerations in its operations”, she noted.

She explained that the Branch also gave oversight to the completion of the first phase of the Garmex Free Zone Redevelopment and Expansion Project on Marcus Garvey Drive, which saw some 126,000 square feet of commercial space being constructed to facilitate manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution for small medium, and large enterprises.

It also initiated the due diligence phase for the 140,000 square foot Boundbrook Urban Center in Port Antonio Portland, for which ground was recently broken, as well as the Morant Bay Urban Center, which is scheduled to be completed shortly.

“The Morant Bay Urban Center is a massive development of over 400,000 square feet, which will see the combination of industrial and commercial space. Similar to the Boundbrook Urban Project,it will facilitate the provision of government services as well as private sector services, so we’re expecting to see that project have a massive impact on the local economy in St. Thomas”, Ms. Felix noted.

The Economic Policy and Investment Branch is mandated to provide guidance and leadership concerning the formulation and amendment of policies and legislation and to monitor all activities associated with the implementation of investment projects.

The Branch has oversight for the Factories Corporation of Jamaica and the Development Bank of Jamaica.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda says our environment is as much who we are as a people and we cannot damage it if we seek the prosperity we all speak about.

Minister Samuda, who was speaking on August 27, 2024, at the launch of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation’s (MEGJC) EcoChampions Recycling Initiative, at the Ministry’s 16a Half Way Tree Road office, pointed to the issue of pollution, and specifically plastic pollution, as one of the challenges to the island’s sustainability.

“It is why this Ministry has been working on several initiatives to reduce pollution, to remove particular items from our waste stream and to work with our colleagues at the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development along with their agency, the NSWMA (National Solid Waste Management Authority) to collect the waste we generate”, he stated.

Delving into the country’s history of waste separation, the Minister noted that plastic separation and collection had moved from 7% a few years ago, following the inception of Recycling Partners of Jamaica in 2015, to 40% now being collected, which makes Jamaica a leader in the region, in plastic separation and collection.

However, he added that 40 percent is not good enough and the government is playing a role in ensuring that Jamaica attains the international benchmark of 70% including the separation of waste in Government entities.

“What you’re seeing today is the beginning of a pilot project to separate waste in the Ministry that is charged with Jamaica’s sustainable development.  What we’re saying, in this case, is that we’re not going to wait for the situation to get worse, we are targeting that 70 per cent”, he stated.

Minister Samuda added that the separation of waste is one step in a large suite of measures that the government is taking to address the issue of pollution including the removal of harmful items from the waste stream such as microplastics in personal care products and plastic lunch boxes and recycling.

“We’re going to recycle what we can, at a rate that makes us the envy first, of the region, and then the rest of the world because that is a part of our overall waste management strategy”, the Minister explained.

However, he added that there needs to be an increase in public education on recycling adding that the efforts to fight plastic pollution will be in vain if EcoChampions do not dominate our society.

“We need to tell people the options and remind them that they can carry a reusable water bottle, that they can pack their lunch at home and carry their utensils.  It’s not beyond us as Jamaicans to solve this problem”, the Minister noted.

The MEGJC EcoChampions Recycling Initiative is a pivotal component of the Plastic-Free Jamaica campaign, designed to reinforce Jamaica’s commitment to environmental sustainability. This initiative coincides with the fourth phase of the Jamaican Government’s ban on single-use plastics. The Plastic-Free Jamaica campaign, and its summer segment called Plastic-Free Summer, aim to raise awareness and promote sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics.

During the event, the Ministry showcased the documentary “Broken Blue” which highlights the effects of plastic pollution on Jamaica’s coastline and marine life.

 

The water issues that the residents of Wentworth in St. Mary have faced for several years, will soon be a thing of the past, as the $40 million Wentworth Water Supply Project is almost complete.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, visited the community on August 22, 2024, to get a first-hand look at the pressure testing of the newly constructed pipeline.

“We are very happy to see the work near completion especially for back to school. It will be a lot easier for parents to get their children (ready) early in the morning.  So, it was very important for us to get (the work) done very quickly”, the Minister stated.

Minister Samuda further noted that the water supply system would serve to build resilience in the community and the parish, especially during periods of drought.

“Each year, we know that by February there will be a dry period.   This sort of infrastructure protects and builds resilience in communities and makes it a little easier for them to be able to deal with the drought. We are actively working on two other major projects which will significantly increase the source water for St. Mary on the easternmost end, by way of the Jordan Run Wells, and the other by way of the upgrade of the White River Treatment Plant”, he explained.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Western St. Mary, Robert Montague, welcomed the project, noting that it would supplement the water supply in an area that is growing.

“This is indeed a historic day because the community had outgrown the infrastructure.  They had an undersized pipe coming up to serve the community and as people built further down on the hill it took away the pressure to get the water up on the hill.  This investment is now allowing the last point in the community to get water”, he stated.

Work on the project was carried out by the National Water Commission (NWC) and the Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) and included the construction of a pump house and tank base; installation of duty and standby pumps; and the installation of sump and storage tanks.

The work also comprised the installation of 1500 metres of four-inch and two-inch galvanized iron pumping distribution mains, as well as the installation of 304 metres of four-inch PVC pipelines.

The project will serve approximately 500 people in Wentworth St. Mary.

 

Approximately 9000 residents in Fairfield, St. James are set to receive improved water supply delivery from an upgraded 8-inch Ductile Iron pipeline from Fairfield Ave to Fairfield Tank within three months.

The work, which is being done by the National Water Commission (NWC), will benefit residents from Fairfield Irwin, Cashew Grove, and Tucker Avenue and include the replacement of the 2km of old and aging 6″ Asbestos Concrete Pipe that was prone to leakage.

“These pipes were meant to be changed many decades ago. However, we now have the financial capacity and space to do this project. So, the works behind us will cost some $47 million and pipes have been pulled from the NWC stores of pipes, which will carry the value of the project to approximately $70 million when complete”, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Matthew Samuda stated.

He continued, “There are a number of developments being contemplated in the space. This (replacement work) will significantly increase the reliability of water delivery to all consumers in the area and will also lay the base for growth”.

Once completed, the team from the National Works Agency (NWA) will begin the road rehabilitation.

“The NWA has already completed the procurement of the road works where the pipes are being laid, and once this is completed in 3 months, immediately after that, work will start. The contractor has already been approved and contract work is complete”, Minister Samuda added.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for West Central St. James, Marlene Malahoo-Forte, said “The replacement and upgrade of the pipes on Fairfield Avenue is one aspect of the infrastructure work that is preceding the road work so the constituents and I have been in constant dialogue about the work…so again, I am asking for your patience as we do the work in sequence to improve the infrastructure”.

Minister Samuda encouraged the residents to work with the NWC, once the emergency works are completed, and pay their bills on time. He also reassured them that when they see water coming from the system, it indicates that the NWC is conducting pressure testing, not a leak.

“The process involves, pipes being laid, pressure testing, and flushing of the system as I also try to assure residents that when they see the initial water coming from the flushing of the system it is not a leaking of a new network but a natural process to make sure that the pipes are clean so that when we do come into the new network, you get the benefit of clean potable water. You will receive the water from us as a Christmas gift and the road work completed as a New Year’s gift, Madam MP. This will provide the citizens with quality infrastructure, something that has been strongly advocated but is currently lacking,” the Minister ended.

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Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says Portland is set for massive development as part of the Government’s plan to sustain long term infrastructure investment without interruption. 

The Prime Minister, who was speaking yesterday (August 14, 2024) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the $4.2 billion Boundbrook Urban Center in Port Antonio, outlined several projects for the parish, including a development plan for the Port Antonio Waterfront, and a new bypass road for the town of Port Antonio valued at US$75 million. 

“We are giving the town of Port Antonio the opportunity to breathe so you won’t be taking traffic that is passing through, or (doesn’t) have business there.  That bypass road will ultimately continue through the hills and connect to the 14 kilometers of road between Yallahs and Harbour View.  So, you’re going to have essentially two roads.  One, the main road that will carry heavy traffic, heavy volume, (and) get you to where you’re going quickly, and one, the more scenic route that is for the tourism economy that we intend to develop”, he stated.   

 The Prime Minister added that the long-term strategy for the parish also includes buildings that are suitable for public use including the Boundbrook Urban Centre which is to be constructed on 6.68 acres of land and will contain an amalgamation of the services provided by the Government of Jamaica and the private sector. 

 “It will have the Municipal building, it will have other Government entities plus private facilities, it will be linked with the Court House, and I believe with the Examination Depot… There is a master plan, so this is not a chaka chaka development”, he stated. 

 The over 100,000 sq. ft.  Boundbrook Urban Centre, is being developed by the Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ), which is an agency of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, in tandem with equity partners, the National Commercial Bank and Barita Investments Ltd. 

 Work on the Urban Centre is to be undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).  

 

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The Government will begin distributing grants today (Monday, August 5, 2024) to persons who suffered total loss of their houses due to the passage of Hurricane Beryl. 

 Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness made the announcement on Friday, (August 2, 2024), during the handing over of units under the New Social Housing Programme, to beneficiaries in North Central Clarendon. 

 “I am happy to report that come Monday, August 5, 2024, we will start the distribution of the grants for those persons who suffered total loss of their house”, he stated.  

The Prime Minister noted that many Jamaicans suffered loss and damage because of Hurricane Beryl, with some persons still without electricity and water, and many without a roof over their heads, with no wherewithal to recover. 

 However, he reiterated that the Government has outlined a comprehensive recovery plan for reconstruction, to assist families who have been verified and assessed as having suffered damage in the wake of Hurricane Beryl.  

 “You may recall that I had announced in Parliament just over $1 billion for this element of the reconstruction and recovery and the Minister of Labour and Social Security would have given the details, which would be $400,000 for persons who have been assessed as having totally lost their homes; $150,000 to persons assessed as having substantial damage and $50,000 for persons who would have been assessed as having minor damage”, he outlined. 

 The Prime Minister explained that over the next few weeks, the grants will be handed out to persons who were assessed. 

 “We hope to complete the total handing out within the next three to four weeks so that all Jamaicans who have been assessed as having suffered damage would be able to start their recovery and hopefully could be complete even before back to school”. 

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Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says that by the end of the year, a total of over 300 units will be built under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP).

Speaking on Friday (August 2, 2024) at the handing over of three units in Northern Clarendon, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness stated this is the “248th unit under the New Social Housing Programme. We have 53 units in varied stages of completion, so by the end of the year, we will be well over 300 units built”.

Prime Minister Holness explained that the NSHP provides a social safety net for vulnerable persons in relation to shelter.

“Under the New Social Housing Programme we construct an entire unit for an assessed household meaning that the beneficiary goes through a process of social investigation where we look at the economic and social circumstances of the household to determine whether or not they meet the set criteria, meaning firstly that they have no income or means by which they can purchase or acquire proper shelter. They are senior citizens elderly, or the household is such that they have young children, pregnant and lactating mothers so we try to be very strategic in targeting the beneficiaries” he stated.

The latest beneficiaries under the NHSP are Beverly Howell, who received a one-bedroom unit; Mr. Pholando Clayton, who received a two-bedroom unit and Mr. Everal Thomas of Stewarton, Clarendon, who received a three-bedroom unit.

To date, more than 860 individuals, across 57 of the 63 constituencies have received units under the NSHP.  In North Central Clarendon, 7 housing units have been completed benefitting 24 individuals. Additionally, a total of 75 projects, or 242 units comprising 419 rooms, are expected to commence between now and the 2025/26 Financial Year.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister pointed out that the NSHP is only one element of the Government’s total policy for housing in Jamaica in which it has committed to the construction of 70,000 new units across the island.

Of that number, the Prime Minister stated that the NHT is responsible for the construction of 43,000 units.  He further explained that the NHT is in an advanced stage, with close to 30,000 units of the 43,000 in various stages of construction.

“The NHT has 5,081 solutions that are in various stages of completion. They have 10,680 Units in contracts, meaning that they have gone through procurement, (and) they have engaged with the contractors to start construction.  They have 16,867 solutions in the procurement process meaning that they are now engaging with various contractors through procurement to determine who will actually do the construction” he noted.

The Prime Minister added that the remainder is in the planning process with the NHT in the process of finalizing designs, acquiring land and getting the necessary permits and approvals.
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Minister with responsibility for Works in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), Robert Nesta Morgan, says the Government of Jamaica, through the National Works Agency (NWA), is fully prepared for the potential impact of Hurricane Beryl.

Minister Morgan seeks to reassure Jamaicans that the NWA has ramped up its drain-cleaning activities and is in constant communication with key stakeholders to ensure a coordinated response.

Minister Morgan’s statement comes against the backdrop of what he describes as misguided calls by the Opposition for the release of funds for drain cleaning.

He states that in June, all constituencies were granted allocations for drain cleaning in preparation for the hurricane season, with over $100 million provided for this purpose.

He adds that MEGJC is taking all necessary steps through the NWA to prepare for Hurricane Beryl, with preparations well underway to mitigate the risks posed by the storm. Cleaning operations are prioritized and will be completed as swiftly as possible, with many exercises already commenced or scheduled to begin this afternoon.

To this end, the NWA has deployed equipment and initiated clearance exercises across several key locations to ensure better hydraulic flow in the event of heavy rainfall. This includes areas such as Wickie-Wackie and the lower section of the Sandy Gully in St. Andrew; the North Gully and the South Gully in St. James; Danvers Pen in St. Thomas; and historically flood-prone areas in Portmore, St. Catherine.

Additionally, Minister Morgan states that key partners in the NWA’s disaster response mechanism, including contractors and equipment owners, have been engaged to ensure readiness to respond at a moment’s notice. Specific instructions have also been given to contractors on active major projects to monitor and address potential impacts.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says Jamaica is living Climate Change.

Speaking yesterday, (June 13, 2024) at a Public Lecture on Loss and Damage at the University of the West Indies Mona, Minister Samuda said Climate Change impacts are affecting every part of our lives and every sector in our economy, especially since 70 percent of our population lives within five kilometres of the sea in low lying areas.

“When you live that close to the sea in low lying areas, land loss is an issue. When so much of your economy depends on foreign exchange earned from tourism which sells “Sun, Sand and Sea”, losing your beaches is an issue. When you have saltwater intrusion and deteriorating soil quality affecting the output of your farmers, it’s an issue, and that is our lived experience in Jamaica”, the Minister emphasized.

He noted that when climate change is discussed, people in the developed world often think of the effects as a Category 5 hurricane, or devastating fires similar to that occurring in British Columbia last year.   He added, however, that it is the slow onset events that have debilitating effects on managing the economy and keeping the society together.

“We’re seeing the awful effects of our slow onset events.  It is the drought that we had last year which is hard to (capture on) film. It’s not something you can capture theatrically. But when you have the sort of droughts and long dry periods that we are now experiencing in Jamaica, you understand it in a real way. You see that impact when you have further learning loss because a school can’t be opened as it doesn’t have water”, the Minister explained.

Minister Samuda highlighted the need to understand the science behind climate change, and to explain the science to citizens, as otherwise, it would be difficult to justify development plans that are more expensive and slower.

“Adaptation plans have to contemplate citizens at the centre of these plans and have to contemplate making investments that, to make them climate resilient, are way more expensive than some of the infrastructure that we have built in the past. These are tough discussions”, the Minister noted.

Minister Samuda said he therefore welcomed the role that the University of the West Indies, Jamaica’s Multi-lateral Partners and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) are playing, in bringing the discussions to the table and ‘laying the wicket” for politicians to have the necessary economic talks on these issues.

The Loss and Damage Workshops and Public Lecture were held under the theme “The Urgent Need for Climate Change Attribution Science”.

Detection and Attribution Science, is aimed at identifying changes in climate which are outside of the natural range and determining the cause of these unnatural changes.   This, in turn, will serve to inform the true value of Loss and Damage due to climate change.

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The process of the implementation of the Government’s multi-billion-dollar road rehabilitation project has moved closer. Five companies have been shortlisted to bid on the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) project.

Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with responsibility for Works, Robert Morgan made that announcement today (June 12). He explained that the National Works Agency (NWA), which is the Government’s lead entity under the project recently completed the pre-qualification stage of the International Competitive Bidding process.

He says eight companies, including two construction entities from Jamaica responded to the bid. The five companies that have been pre-qualified are:

• Sinohydro Corporation Limited, China
• Municipal Enterprises Limited, Canada
• Lagan Aviation and Infrastructure Limited, UK
• China Harbour Engineering Company Limited, China
• VINCI Construction Grands Projects, France

The Government intends to implement the works island-wide through four packages. The packages will include both main and community roads.

Minister Morgan says that the Government is now turning its attention to requesting bids from the pre-qualified contractors. These proposals are to be returned by the middle of August.

Following the submission of these proposals, a contract for the works to the successful firm should be approved by the Cabinet by the end of September.

Minister Morgan says that though it is expected that an international company will be the successful bidder, a local company will be involved in the execution of the plans for the works. The successful bidder, as per the arrangement under the project, must include a local company in the implementation.

In the meantime, the NWA has continued to collaborate with other government departments and agencies in staging consultative meetings across the country.
The meetings are being led by the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). To date, meetings have been held in 21 constituencies.
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