LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER APPROVES J$175 MILLION IN EMERGENCY REPAIR FUNDING TO WORST AFFECTED PARISHES
Local Government and Community Development Minister Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has approved J$175 million in emergency funding, to address critical infrastructure repairs in six parishes that have been worst affected by weather conditions between May 21 and the past weekend.
The Minister noted that the allocation is primarily to facilitate the restoration of access to people within and between communities. “As is well known, the rains from the surface Trough that came to Jamaica three weeks ago, as well as the Trough that is affecting parts of the island now, have resulted in flooding and land slippages, thus creating various problems for many citizens. It is with this in mind that the decision to release these funds to the Municipal Corporations of the worst affected parishes has been made.”
The Minister also indicated that all Municipal Corporations will receive funding for Phase 1 of the annual Mitigation programme.
“The recurrence of the moderate to heavy rains, and the additional damage caused in such a short time, is precisely why we are undertaking the review of existing structures, particularly in town centres and other urbanized areas of the country, to see where drainage capacity can be significantly expanded in the short to medium term. As I announced in Parliament on April 25, our Ministry will collaborate with the National Works Agency to ensure thereafter, that an infrastructure programme is developed to successfully address the problem of flooding.”
Contact: Communications Unit
Ministry of Local Government and Community Development
754-0992-9
