Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697797318221.pdf (Jamaica)
OPENING OF SECTORAL DEBATE PARLIAMENTARY YEAR 2013/2014 by Dr. the Hon Omar Davies, MP Minister of Transport, Works & Housing May 7, 2013 1 A: INTRODUCTION 1.

I consider it a special honour to have been asked by the Prime Minister to lead off the sectoral debate for the 2013/2014 fiscal year.

2.

Let me acknowledge the contributions of the six speakers who spoke in the main debate which ended last week Wednesday.
I must however make special mention of the two presentations by my colleague the Minister of Finance and Planning.

3.

To use the farming analogy, he had a “hard row to hoe”.

There could be no question that this was a difficult budget to craft, given the known needs of the society coupled with inadequate available resources, particularly in light of the pre-conditions to be satisfied for an IMF agreement.
The challenge which I believe all members of this House recognize is that it is not simply about reaching an Agreement with the IMF and the passing of quarterly tests.

That is a necessary condition for progress, but clearly it is not a sufficient one.

4.

The real “Test” is stimulating real economic growth and increased employment.

5.

The challenge is for all members of the Administration and indeed this Honourable House to fully recognize that the crisis is real and the fiscal constraint is also real.
For our part we must all commit to getting maximum “bang for the buck” from the budget allocations, and from the work of the various public bodies with the clear objective of fostering economic growth and in so doing improve the lives of our citizens.

6.

If any message should have come out of the presentation by my colleague Minister of Finance, it must be that the fiscal constraints are indeed real.
The imperative of reducing the fiscal deficit has forced the Administration to take, simultaneously, two unpopular steps, namely: to significantly increase a wide range of taxes and to compress expenditure in several critical areas.

2 7.

In terms of the compression of expenditure, most noteworthy is the agreement reached with public sector workers for zero increase over the next two years.
As the Minister who, together with our late colleague, Danny Buchanan, engineered the first such agreement a decade ago, I realize the challenge, in advancing such a proposal, much less reaching an agreement.

8.

Respect is due to the leaders of the public sector workers, as well as to the chief negotiator of the Administration – Minister with Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance.

9.
9.

From the point of view of the sector ministries, every one of us has been called on to make do with much less than we would have liked and much less that we could have efficiently expended.

10.

However, the cuts have presented us with an opportunity to address some of the blatant inefficiencies in the public sector bureaucracy.
For that reason, I have made it clear to members of my own ministry that, rather than lamenting the difference between what we had hoped for and what was approved, we will compensate for that “reduction” by being more efficient in using the resources at hand.

11.

Let me provide a specific example of how this greater efficiency may be achieved by simply using existing resources and systems in a more productive manner.

12.
12.

There are often complaints from members of the public as well as the business community about the cost of the delays in the Government bureaucracy to the private entrepreneur.

There is much validity to these complaints.

13.

What is seldom realized is that this tardy bureaucracy also retards the State itself.

Specific example is given by the work of the Infrastructure Sub-Committee of Cabinet.

14.
14.

Mr. Speaker, all contracts beyond a certain value have to be vetted by the Sub-Committee prior to presentation to Cabinet.

3 15.

When the new Administration took office in January 2012, we noted that the average time between Requests For Proposal (RFP) being advertised and a contract being presented to the Infrastructure Sub-Committee was between 18 months to two years.

This inter-regnum can only have negative implications.
Costs would inevitably increase greatly over such a period; the various certifications of contractors could have lapsed and clearly, if the matter were of urgency at the time of issuance of the RFP, one would be at a crisis point two years later.

16.

Worst of all, when the Infrastructure Sub-Committee considers the proposed contract, even if there is immediate approval, actual project implementation would bring its own set of problems and delays.

17.
17.

We have set a path towards improving the throughput and I can inform the members of this Honourable House that we are now reviewing, at the meetings of the Committee, projects for which RFPs went out in January 2013.

Our objective is to make the whole process – from issuance of a RFP to approval by Cabinet last three months, and for that to become the norm, rather than the exception.

18.
18.

There can be no doubt that the reduction in the time which elapses between the issuance of RFPs to the beginning of actual work on the project will translate into cost savings, all of which can be achieved without spending one additional cent.

19.

It is 16 months since I assumed responsibility for this portfolio.

20.
20.

I wish to publicly place on record my appreciation to those persons with whom I have worked during this period - beginning with my political colleagues within my Ministry, the Minister without Portfolio, and the Minister of State.

However, let me hasten to also thank the Permanent Secretary and the other officials who work in the Ministry, the CEO of the NWA, the Directors General, and the entire staff in the Ministry.

4 21.

A special tribute goes to the staff in my office.

22.
22.

At the risk of creating jealousy, I must place on record my special appreciation for the work done by my Permanent Secretary who has ably pulled together all the various departments of the Ministry and the public bodies into an increasingly cohesive system.

It is no accident that the newspaper yesterday carried an article about the PS and the two Directors General in the Ministry.

23.
23.

I wish also to pay tribute to the various Board Chairmen and Board members who have volunteered to take on onerous tasks.

In some instances these positions have turned out to be virtually full time jobs.

In a time when so much of the public discourse reflects a sense of doom and gloom, it is heartening that there are so many competent persons willing to volunteer their skills and time for the furtherance of the national good.

24.
24.

A special welcome to students and teachers who are present and the staff of constituency office.

STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATION 25.

Given the number of departments/public bodies within the Ministry it would be simply impossible to review the work of each.

Without seeking to devalue the contribution of any department or entity – it is important to note that I will need to be selective in my presentation – all cannot be covered.
The Minister with portfolio responsibility for housing will be making a separate presentation later in the Debate.

26.

The approach which will be taken in this presentation is to review progress made during fiscal year 2012/13 on some of the key initiatives by the different departments and then speak to the planned programme of activities for fiscal year 2013/14 and the medium term.

5 27.
5 27.

In terms of fiscal year 2012/13, I will briefly review the work undertaken on the JEEP, JDIP, the recovery from Hurricane Sandy and other activities by the NWA, progress made in the privatization of Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) and the Norman Manley International Airport, as well as the significant steps taken in executing one of the mega projects, the North/South leg of Highway 2000.

B: REVIEW OF FISCAL YEAR 2012/2013 1.


In reviewing the fiscal year 2012/2013 it must be recalled that this was the first full year of operation of the “new” ministry.

Furthermore, execution of capital works was affected by the passage of Hurricane Sandy in October.

Close to 200 road sections were damaged by landslides, flooding and scouring.

NWA undertook a massive clean-up and reconstruction exercise which is still not complete.
The cost of this reconstruction exercise, to date, is in excess of $1.5 billion.

2.

Given the tight budgetary constraints, this expenditure had to be accommodated through the reallocation of funds originally programmed for other projects.

Special commendation must go to the Permanent Secretary, the CEO of the NWA and his staff, as well as the officials at the Ministry of Finance who worked together to reallocate resources to facilitate the reconstruction activities.

3.
3.

It was recognized early in the year that the state of disrepair which characterized much of the road system could not be comprehensively addressed through major reconstruction projects.

Consequently, the NWA embarked on an unprecedented island-wide patching project to the tune of $1.1 billion.

It is worth noting that every constituency in every parish was included in the programme.

4.
4.

JEEP: It would be recalled that the JEEP project was launched in March 2012 fiscal year 2012/2013 was the first full year of operation.

JEEP was partially funded by the reallocation of (US)$50 million from the JDIP project.

Additional funds were received from a grant from the PetroCaribe Fund to finance some special programmes – in particular the housing collaboration with Food for the Poor.
Not only did this 6 programme have a positive impact on employment of over 37,000 persons, but small and medium size contractors also benefitted tremendously from the over 950 projects which were executed.

5.

Special commendation to Head of JEEP, Mrs Lucille Brodber and her small hardworking team.

6.

Phase I of JEEP consisted of projects involving construction of roadway support structures, culverts, drains, retaining walls, etc.

Work was based on the allocation of $12 million per constituency.
That phase was successfully completed in September 2012.

7.

The second phase of JEEP started in October 2012 and will be completed next month, when financing from the JDIP project comes to an end.

8.

Under this segment, road works, support infrastructure and some community projects are being undertaken as well as construction and repair works to the drainage network in Kingston and St Andrew.

With regard to the rehabilitation of the Sandy Gully Drainage Network, major contracts have been awarded.

9.
9.

JEEP’s collaboration with Food for the Poor in constructing houses for indigent households island-wide will continue.

This programme had to be adjusted in the wake of Hurricane Sandy to focus on providing housing units for those persons who had lost their homes.

10.

In this regard – the focus was on the parishes of St Mary, Portland and St Thomas where 383 units were constructed to date to provide shelter to those who had lost their homes.

11.
11.

Mr Speaker, as a reflection on the new modus operandi of this Ministry, this re-housing project was executed with the full participation of all the MPs and there has been no issue of favouritism or victimization.

7 12.

Another collaborative project involves Food for the Poor, NHT, the JEEP Secretariat and the housing arm of the Ministry.

13.

In this project, Food for the Poor is contracted to construct 600 concrete housing units (360 sq.
ft.) annually for sale to NHT for the equivalent of (US)$9,500 per unit.

14.

Through this project, NHT will be able to make available units to contributors with a weekly income of between $5,000 and $7,500.

15.

There are plans to expand this project as it represents an opportunity to respond to the needs of NHT contributors who have historically been denied access to units.

16.
16.

The JDIP Project – There are several projects under JDIP which were brought to conclusion during, or on which work continued in fiscal year 2012/2013.

Among such projects are the Christiana Development Road which was completed in April 2012 and the Palisadoes Road which was also completed in 2012.

17.

It should be noted that by means of a variation, work continues on the Palisadoes Road to facilitate the replacement of NWC water mains through collaboration between NWC and NWA.
This work will not affect the roadway in anyway.

18.

Furthermore, I wish to reassure citizens, particularly the environmentalists that work in terms of restoration of the mangroves has been budgeted for in the 2013/2014 budget and will begin shortly.

19.

Bridge Construction and Repairs: As part of the JDIP programme the Rio Grande Bridge was completed and opened in October 2012.

The Cassia Park and Queensborough Bridges have also been completed.
Work continues on the Westmoreland Bridge in St Mary will be completed by next month.

20.

The John’s Hall Bridge in Montego Bay is being constructed at a cost of just under $400 million.

8 21.

Modular Bridges are being constructed in Kintyre (St Andrew), Eden River and Fontebelle (St Mary); Crooked River (Clarendon); and Craig Mill (Portland).

C: FISCAL YEAR 2013-2014 1.

During the current fiscal year the Ministry will continue work on a wide range of projects.
This will both be actual construction as well as administrative and institutional initiatives to lead to greater efficiencies in the operation of activities under the aegis of the Ministry.

2.

One area relates to land transportation service.

Much of the policy framework for this sector is dated and dispersed under varying pieces of legislation.
Consistent with the objective of modernizing the sector, the Ministry is in the process of hiring a consultant to guide the establishment of the Land Transportation Authority which will result from the merger of the Transport Authority and the Island Traffic Authority.

It is expected that the consultant will be engaged during the second quarter of this fiscal year leading to the Authority being established in fiscal year 2014/2015.

3.
3.

The Road Traffic Act is in the final stages of a comprehensive revision and a new Act will be passed during this Parliamentary year.

4.

I need to say a word here about the economics of the transport sector.

The Administration recognizes that there is need for a fare adjustment.

Discussions are ongoing with representatives of the sector with the objective of coming to a common understanding of the unavoidable costs faced by operators.
Mr Speaker, the system will deteriorate and collapse sooner rather than later, if the need for a fare adjustment is not acknowledged and responded to.

5.

Naturally, the same applies to the JUTC.

9 6.

Let me signal to owners/operators involved in this sector, that representatives of the Ministry, whether members of the political directorate or officials, are always available to meet to discuss and resolve problems.
But, let me emphasize that such meetings must be in the context of mutual respect and order.

7.

Indiscipline and coarseness must be eliminated from this vital sector of our economy and society.

We intend to radically improve behavior in the sector.

8.

Jamaica Railway Corporation -During the last fiscal year, the Board of the Railway Corporation took action to eliminate the “financial bleeding” of the Jamaica Railway Corporation with the intention of preparing it for privatization.

9.
9.

This action included terminating the loss making commuter services between Linstead and Spanish Town.

Furthermore, a redundancy exercise was implemented and payment of employees commenced.

A comprehensive titling and survey of properties owned by the Corporation has been undertaken, with assistance from the National Land Agency in order to prepare it for privatization.

10.
10.

Privatization of the Kingston Container Terminal – An Enterprise Team was established in December 2012 under the Chairmanship of former Governor Derick Latibeaudiere.

The privatization is being undertaken under a public private partnership initiative using a limited tender approach for the selection of the concessionaire/investor/partner.

The process is well underway.


The objective is to modernize and expand the Port to capitalize on opportunities which will come about through the expansion of the Panama Canal.

10 11.

Related to this is the decision by China Engineering Company (CHEC) following preliminary feasibility studies, not to proceed with developing Fort Augusta as another terminal facility.

(I will say more about this later in the presentation).
The availability of this additional space, which is already owned by the Port Authority, should improve the attractiveness of the KCT privatization effort in that land is now available for possible expansion.

12.

Privatization of the Norman Manley Airport An Enterprise Team was established in November 2012 to proceed with the due diligence exercise necessary in order to privatize the facility.

It is expected that early in this fiscal year, the Request For the Proposal (RFP) will be issued.
Concurrent with the capital development programme aimed at improving the existing infrastructure continues.

13.

Donald Sangster’s International Airport: Although long privatized, the government, through the Airports Authority, retains a key role in this facility.

Currently work is proceeding in terms of overlay of the runways which will be completed during this fiscal year to the cost of (US)$25M.

14.
14.

Mr Speaker, I should indicate that I took note of the reference by the Opposition Spokesman on Tourism for the need to improve the Montego Bay Airport.

15.

It is recognized by both the concessionaire and the Government that there is need to extend the runway, both in anticipation of more stringent international requirements as well as to accommodate long haul aircraft.
11 Discussions are already on-going between the Concessionaire, Airports Authority and the Ministry with the objective of beginning construction during the latter part of this fiscal year.

Completion will be in fiscal year 2015/2016.

16.

The extension will be facilitated through the acquisition of various adjoining lands.

17.

Officials of the Airports Authority will be available to give a full briefing to the relevant Opposition Spokespersons 18.
Caribbean Airlines: The agreement by which Caribbean Airlines assumed responsibility for Air Jamaica flights as well as the right to use the Air Jamaica brand name is well documented.

19.

Let me indicate that the Administration supports the work done by the previous Administration in terminating the losses of Air Jamaica.

These operations resulted in the GOJ assuming responsibility for nearly US$1B of debt.

20.
20.

Not surprisingly, CAL is facing challenges despite receiving significant subsidies from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

21.

In an attempt to address its worsening financial situation, CAL has taken the decision (incorrect in our view) to drastically reduce the number of flights in and out of Jamaica.

The reduced number of flights is below the minimum level required by the agreement which granted permission for use of the Air Jamaica brand name.

22.
22.

In addition, CAL has had continuing challenges in meeting its obligations to various Jamaican public sector entities including NMIA, JCAA and Jamaica Customs.

12 23.

Mr. Speaker, there have been calls for the Administration to take aggressive action against CAL.

However, this Administration is of the firm view that we should seek to resolve whatever difficulties we are facing through dialogue.
Furthermore, there is no benefit to either country to turn our attempts to resolve problems into a public spat.

24.

To that end, I have agreed with Minister Bharath, who has responsibility for CAL in the T & T Government that he will come to Jamaica either late this month or early in June with his full team, for a frank exchange of views leading to a resolution of all outstanding matters.

North South Leg of Highway 2000 1.


The investment by China Harbour in the North South leg of Highway 2000 is the single largest capital project currently being undertaken in Jamaica.

2.

On several occasions, I have publicly acknowledged, both in the House and elsewhere, that this project was not conceptualized by the present Administration.

For reasons well known, despite the fact that considerable preparatory work was done, the project was stalled.
This Administration inherited the plans and we have quickly moved to implement them.

3.

At present, work has resumed on Section 2, known as the Mount Rosser Bypass.

Just recently we facilitated the importation of 37 pieces of heavy equipment, including trucks, cranes, excavators, bulldozers etc.

and they have been mobilized on the site.

4.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, section 2 will be completed within a year from today.
Completion of that section will, itself, drastically reduce the travel time between Linstead and Ocho Rios.

13 5.

As regards Section 1, (Ferry to Linstead) and Section 3 (Moneague to Ocho Rios), the process of land acquisition is moving ahead and valuations and negotiations are now being carried out by valuators employed by NROCC.

6.

The environmental impact assessments have been completed for both Sections 1 and 3 and all relevant permits have been issued by NEPA.

7.
7.

The developers are now finalizing the geotechnical investigations and designs for work.

NROCC has convened several public meetings with the various stakeholders to discuss the project.

8.

Actual construction work on the section, (Ferry to Linstead), is slated to commence in September and on Section 3 – (Moneague to Ocho Rios), in November of this year.

9.

In short, Mr. Speaker, all systems are “go” for this significant project which will imply untold benefits for all Jamaica.
It will curtail travel time between Kingston and the North Coast; it will result in a reduction of fuel consumption and it will open up Kingston and its environs with several historical and cultural attractions as a tourism destination for visitors based on the North Coast.

Major Infrastructure Development Project (MIDP) 1.

During this financial year work will begin on this project value at approximately (US)$350 million.
This project is being financed by a loan from the China Exim Bank, (US$300M) and by the GOJ’s contribution of approximately US$50M.

2.

The Leader of the Opposition suggested in his presentation in the Budget Debate that the MIDP is a replica of the JDIP, despite our condemnation of that project, when we were in Opposition.

3.

Mr Speaker, it is necessary for me to place on record, for colleagues in the House and more important, for members of the public why this assertion is not correct.

14 4.
14 4.

It is true that there are similarities between the two projects.

MIDP is financed by the same source - China Exim Bank and the main contractor is the same company, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

The similarities however end at that stage and the differences are not token.

5.

Whilst the JDIP was routed through the Road Maintenance Fund, the new project was deliberately placed, as it should be, in Capital B of the Estimates of Expenditure.

6.
6.

Whilst, under JDIP, there was lack of clarity of the role of local contractors vis-a-vis China Harbour, clarity has been clearly established at the outset for the new project.

7.

China Harbour will be given responsibility for major projects up to a value of US$220M.

Local contractors will be allocated projects with a total value of (US)$130M (US$80M supervised by the NWA) and (US)50M through JEEP.

(CHEC will also utilize Jamaican sub-contractors on these projects).

8.
8.

A selection of the projects in each category will be made known to Parliament.

9.

Another clear difference between the two projects is the amount to be paid to China Harbour for supervision of the projects to be undertaken by local contractors.

A major issue of concern with JDIP was that China Harbour was paid 25% of the value of those projects which they were not directly implementing.

This supervisory management fee for MIDP projects has been capped at 12½% of the value of contracts.

10.
10.

In short, Mr. Speaker, we do not simply speak of transparency in theoretical terms.

We do this in reality and never again should Parliament and the country allow a major expenditure of (US)$400M to be treated as was done under JDIP.

11.

In fiscal year 2013/2014 the restriction placed on the budget by the target of reducing the deficit and increasing the primary surplus has limited the allocation made to the MIDP to (J)$2.5 billion.
The Minister of Finance and I have discussed the implication of this capped amount in the first year and have 15 agreed that, in the next two fiscal years, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 the amount allocated to MIDP will be significantly increased.

12.

Shortly, I will be bringing to Parliament an explicit statement of the projects which will be undertaken by the MIDP during this fiscal year.

D: GROWTH, EMPLOYMENT AND MEGA PROJECTS 1.


Earlier in the presentation I made reference of the fact that there is need for full acceptance that the fiscal constraints, to which constant reference was made by the Minister of Finance, are real.

The implications are not solely the need for Ministries and agencies of the State to operate within a more restrictive fiscal environment but more importantly, there should be an aggressive attempt to encourage private sector participation in investment.

2.
2.

Acknowledgement of this reality did not start with this Administration.

Rather we have inherited projects which were conceived by the previous Administration but not carried through for one reason or another.

The North/South link of Highway 2000 is one example.

3.
3.

In this period, we should know that the financial constraints in Government expenditure will remain tight in the medium term and hence, in order to foster expanded economic activities, a greater role will have to be played by private investors - foreign and domestic.

One area of economic activity, for which Jamaica is eminently positioned to maximize benefits, relates to the development transport facilities, which will spawn complementary economic activities.
Such initiatives will form a part of Jamaica’s exploitation of its location as a Logistics Hub.

16 4.

The expansion and modernization of the Panama Canal increase the potential benefits to Jamaica in exploiting its God-given location and for this reason the Administration is pursuing this opportunity with focused application.

5.
5.

My colleague, the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce has been working hard to solicit investments in various projects which will firmly establish Jamaica’s place as a major transshipment and logistics hub in the Western Hemisphere.

6.

Mr. Speaker, it will be recalled that nearly a year ago, Cabinet gave approval for the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) to sign an MOU with China Harbour (CHEC) to explore the development of Fort Augusta as a major transshipment port.
CHEC has carried out a great deal of research on this site over the past several months and during this period, their assessment of Jamaica’s potential to become a major transshipment and logistics centre has been greatly expanded.

7.

For that reason they have determined that, given the range of projects which they wish to develop to complement a transshipment port, the available land space at Fort Augusta is not capable of accommodating the planned economic activities.
They have therefore expressed the desire to explore other sites which will provide in excess of 6,000 acres which they project will be required to accommodate their planned investments.

8.

The Port Authority was authorized by Cabinet to sign an extension to the MOU with China Harbour, which will allow CHEC time to carry out the extensive technical studies required for this major investment.

The total value of this investment is estimated, at this point in time, to be in the order of (US)$1500 million.
17 9.

The Prime Minister announced this expanded scope of the plans of CHEC and its parent company China Construction Communication Company (CCCC).

At the same time, she also indicated that CHEC was no longer interested in developing Fort Augusta as the site for their investment, for the reasons I have already indicated.

10.
10.

This project will entail, inter alia, the establishment of a transshipment port, construction of various manufacturing facilities, the development of a major IT facility, the development of a cement plant and the possible development of a power plant to provide electricity to the industrial complex.

The development will result in the employment of 2,000 construction workers to be followed by over 10,000 permanent jobs, most of which will require high levels of skill.

11.
11.

For some strange reason, rather than focusing on the expanded investment plans, several organs of the media carried the story as simply reflecting a termination of CHEC’s interest in Fort Augusta.

12.

The Administration is extremely excited about the prospects for this massive investment plan and we are taking the necessary steps to ensure that it materializes.

13.
13.

The Administration will ensure that all the required environmental impact assessments will be carried out and no aspect of the development will be carried out without full authorization from the various regulatory authorities – in particular, NEPA.

14.

The Administration will be working closely with CHEC to ensure that all preliminary work is completed within a year, leading to actual developmental work beginning in fiscal year 2014/2015.

15.
15.

Mr. Speaker, this development has the potential to have a significant impact on the future of the Jamaican’s economy.

The coordination of this development will be a complex exercise and it is for 18 this reason why we were pleased that the Principal of the Mona Campus, Professor the Hon Gordon Shirley, has agreed to be Chairman of the Task Force to guide this and other developments through its various stages.

16.
16.

In speaking of the issue of major projects, I note that the former Minister of Finance has warned against total reliance on such project.

His point is well taken.

17.

It is one of the paradoxes of the Jamaican economy that even where significant capital expenditure has occurred e.g.

- the expansion of room capacity in the tourism sector - this has not led to the expected spin-off in terms stimulating growth in other sectors, or indeed in the overall economy.

18.
18.

Having said that, there can be no question that a successful implementation of these infrastructure projects will have the potential to act as the catalyst to spur economic growth and development.

19.

The Administration recognizes that large projects do not provide all the answers.

However, we welcome the immediate positive impact.


We also accept that the task is not only to attract such projects but to ensure their integration into the general economy, thus maximizing the benefits from the investments.

E: CONCLUSION 1.

In this presentation, we have sought to outline the work done by this Ministry in its first year of operation, Fiscal Year 2012/2013.

We have highlighted the attempts to maximize the benefits from an expenditure budget constrained by the fiscal situation.
Of interest was the focus on an extensive island-wide patching programme.

19 2.

The first year also marked various initiatives at the community level, particularly as part of the JEEP project.

The innovative collaboration with Food for the Poor has facilitated the post-Sandy recovery for those citizens who lost their houses in the parishes of St Mary, Portland and St Thomas.
At the same time, the collaboration between Food for the Poor and the NHT in terms of the construction of concrete units presents hope to a segment of the housing market which previously had little expectation of owning their own unit.

3.

We have outlined the major projects and activities to be carried out in this present fiscal year.

Despite the constraints mandated by the tight fiscal situation we will seek to maximize the presence of the Ministry in all areas of its responsibility.

4.
4.

In the spirit of transparency, we have explicitly identified the difficult economic circumstances within which the transportation sector, both public and private, is presently operating.

This sector faces deterioration and possibly collapse unless remedial actions are taken.

After due consultation with all stakeholders, a fare increase is inevitable later in the year.

5.

We have identified progress in terms of the mega projects.
We do not consider this the solution to all our challenges, but there can be no doubt that the significant injection of investment capital in this economy, if properly managed, will have far reaching positive effects in terms of facilitating growth in other sectors and in terms of increased employment.

We have pledged our commitment to ensuring that every genuine investment interest is facilitated.

6.
6.

One of the fascinating developments in terms of the range of portfolio subjects which fall under this Ministry is that these were once seen simply as providing the infrastructure to support real economic activity.

An interesting evolution over time is that apart from carrying out this role, infrastructure development itself will form the basis of the expansion of the economy and the creation of employment.
In our case the opportunity for this growth derives mainly from Jamaica’s strategic location where it is uniquely positioned to become a major hub in world trade.

20 7.

Mr Speaker, in whatever activities this Ministry is involved, I wish to give the pledge that all individuals, all interests will be treated fairly and with equity.

The post-Sandy recovery effort was our first test of whether our actions would be consistent with the verbal commitment.

8.
8.

Every Member of Parliament in this Honourable House can testify that the financial resources which have been allocated to the Ministry have been expended consistent with this objective.

9.

We in the Ministry are aware of the enormous expectations in terms of our performance.

Nonetheless, we are confident that, with the help of the Almighty, we will play our role in moving this country forward.
There is too much work to be done for us to join with the doom and gloom which characterizes so much of public discourse.

21