Enforcement of Anti-Litter and Building Laws high on Govt’s agenda

Posted on May 31, 2022April 29, 2025

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development will embark on a revamped programme to enforce the country’s anti-litter and building laws.

The two-pronged initiative will address the illegal dumping of garbage and building construction material as well as illegal garages and car dealers who advertise their inventory on the sidewalks.

This announcement was made by Honourable Desmond McKenzie during his 2022/2023 Sectoral Presentation on May 25.

“The Government encourages entrepreneurship and free enterprise within the boundaries of the law, not chaos, selfishness, and disorder. An atmosphere of nuisance has emerged across the country and the issues I have drawn attention to are not just offensive, they are all illegal. Elected representatives, the police and the Local Authorities get constant complaints about these and other illegal acts happening across the country.”

Stage One of the initiative, which will begin shortly, will involve a national public education drive led by the Social Development Commission with support from Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.

“We will make the appeal to all sectors of the society, including private sector representatives, as domestic and commercial disposal practices still leave much to be desired. In fact, Madame Speaker, I have already met with the President of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica and members of that body, and I am very encouraged by their response to this initiative,” the Minister said.

“Stage Two will involve strict enforcement of the NSWMA Act and the Building Act. A special taskforce comprising the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the Jamaica Defence Force, the Municipal Corporations, and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) will be traversing the country and visiting the locations where breaches have been reported as well as observed.”

Vehicles, material, or any other objects that are improperly placed will have to be removed, failing which the offending objects will be confiscated.

Irresponsible persons in the construction industry and at the domestic level, continue practices that endanger citizens in very direct ways. One of which is having sand, gravel and blocks unloaded onto the sidewalk, thereby forcing pedestrians to walk into the road and into the path of motor vehicles.

Another nuisance is illegal garages with cars parked on the sidewalks, again endangering pedestrians. In some cases, the vehicles have been parked there for years.

According to Minister McKenzie, the Government will be pushing back strongly against the disorder that is being experienced daily.

“I want to assure the people in communities across the country, that their complaints are being heard and will be addressed. We will curtail these abuses of the built and the natural environment and improve your quality of life by removing these nuisances from the main roads and communities.”

The Regulations to the NSWMA Act have also been submitted to the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel for review.

Special emphasis on Rural Development

Posted on May 30, 2022May 31, 2022

The Government will place an unprecedented emphasis on policies and programmes this financial year to increase the pace of economic and social activity for rural development.

“The task before us is not just to make Jamaica as a whole, the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business. It is to make this a reality for people within their communities. This was recognized in 2009, when the Government unveiled Vision 2030, the National Development Plan,” declared Honourable Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.

“It recognized that while the national rate of poverty was declining, rural poverty was stubbornly high. It was also acknowledged that if the country is to achieve “developed country” status, rural economic growth and development has to keep pace with the rates experienced in urban centres.”

He was speaking during his 2022 Sectoral Presentation to the Houses of Representatives on May 25.

Data reveals that approximately 44% of Jamaica’s total population live in the rural parts of the country. Minister McKenzie explained that the challenge is to stimulate rural economic growth so that employment and incomes will increase, thereby reducing rural to urban drift among a range of social problems.

“We also have to sharply expand access to social and productive infrastructure, such as rural electrification and water. These ambitions have been held by successive governments for many years but have never been effectively implemented,” he said.

“Over the last six years, the system of Local Government has demonstrated that with adequate capital investment, it can both enhance and protect the lives of the people of Jamaica. With the governance and service delivery network of Local Authorities established across the country, the task of rural development is a natural portfolio fit, and I once again thank the Most Honourable Prime Minister for his confidence in me, to lead this charge that will accelerate recovery and prosperity.”

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is spearheading the Rural Development Programme was introduced last year and is designed to give new life to rural communities over the next two years. The J$223 million pilot programme is Chambers Pen in Western Hanover. The works scheduled for this project include the installation of water and electrical infrastructure, internet access, roads, sidewalks, community parks and indigent housing.

“The works have not progressed at an ideal pace, but all the activities critical to this development pilot at Chambers Pen are being implemented. The Social Development Commission has completed a full Needs Assessment for the community and is implementing a skills training programme at a cost of one million dollars.

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority will also provide assistance to the farmers of Chambers Pen to the tune of J$2 million. Another J$28 million will be spent to construct four indigent homes – two family units and two studio units – and road rehabilitation works at a cost of $100 million.

 

PLEASE BOX:

CHAMBERS PEN REVITALIZATION PROJECT

• 300 houses in the community will be wired at a cost of J$27m. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, and works are expected to begin at the end of this month.
• The Community Centre and Basic School will be repaired at a cost of J$4m and J$20m respectively. The Ministry of Education opened the tender process for these repair projects on May 6.
• The Chambers Pen Water Supply System is also being implemented by our Agency, Rural Water Supply Limited at a cost of J$30m. A contract was signed for the provision of 3.4 kilometres of pipe and fixtures, while a separate tender process for the installation of the pipes was implemented. The successful bidder will be signing a contract with Rural Water before the end of May, and it is expected that works will commence in June.
• Approximately 1,500 persons in 300 households will benefit from the supply of 52,500 gallons of fresh water every day. Additionally, 300 service connections to the National Water Commission’s Great River Treatment Plant will be installed, and 300 Black Tanks will be provided, at a cost of J$9 million. These 400-gallon tanks will be distributed to each household in Chambers Pen.
• The official ground-breaking for the water supply project will be done next month and scheduled for completion by September month end.

$580M Fire Station a Game Changer – McKenzie

Posted on May 16, 2022April 29, 2025

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon Desmond McKenzie, has described the official opening of the multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art Montego Bay Fire Station in St. James as a “game changer” for the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB).

The facility’s construction which commenced in June 2019, was spearheaded by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) under its Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Programme.

The station was completed at a cost of $580 million and houses a hi-tech gym, offices, dormitory facilities and accommodation for over 170 firefighters.

Addressing the opening ceremony on Friday (May 13) on the grounds of the four-storey facility, Minister McKenzie stated that the new fire station represents government’s commitment to improve the working conditions of firefighters.

“We are proud… that we have been able to respond to the needs of the men and women of the Jamaica fire brigade,” Mr. McKenzie said.

“This administration is committed in ensuring [the well-being] of the men and women of the Jamaica Fire Brigade… and I want to commend them for working in conditions that demonstrate their ability, commitment, and loyalty to the job,” he continued.

Noting that the fire station boosts the capacity of the JFB to serve parishes in western Jamaica, the Minister urged citizens to support the investment.

Mr. McKenzie also announced plans to upgrade the existing fire stations in Montego Bay to provide a proper working environment for firefighters attached to the division.

“I want to give the people of St James the assurance that we will not be closing any of the other stations because of this, we will be moving to upgrade those stations around Montego Bay,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. McKenzie disclosed that as government continues to build out the infrastructure of the JFB, ground will be broken in about three weeks for the construction of a new fire station in Ulster Spring, Trelawny, while stations in Port Maria, St. Mary, and Yallahs, St. Thomas, will also be opened this year.

“Balaclava in St Elizabeth will be our next location and we will be opening shortly not one, but two brand new facilities in Port Maria, St. Mary, and in Yallahs, St Thomas,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of JSIF, Omar Sweeney, says that the facility will enhance the capacity of the JFB to save lives and property in western Jamaica.

“Today [May 13], in line with our mandate of protecting the vulnerable and poor in Jamaica, this intervention of building the capacity of the Jamaica Fire Brigade is designed to… fight fires caused by drought”.

He continued: “It is also designed to ensure that the more than 200,000 residents, business owners and others that are in the capture area of the fire station, are better protected by having the capacity right here on Barnett Street to respond to disasters.”

Local Government Minister Mourns Passing of Former Mayor of Montego Bay Cecil Donaldson

Posted on May 5, 2022

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Hon. Desmond McKenzie has paid tribute to the life and service of former Mayor of Montego Bay, Cecil Donaldson, whopassed away earlier today. 

 

“Cecil Donaldson was an outstanding Councillor of the Glendevon Division, and a powerful and effective three-term Mayor of Montego Bay. He made a significant contribution to the  development of the City, and the enduring regard in which he is held is reflected in the Municipal Building having been named in his honour. Cecil Donaldson’s example and influence was widely felt, not least by his son, Noel, who himself entered representational politics at the local level, and also served as Mayor of Montego Bay. 

 

“Mayor Donaldson’s life was well-lived, and he has bequeathed a positive legacy to western Jamaica and to the system of local government. In the midst of their grief, I want to console his family and friends with this assurance, even as I offer my condolences. The Ministry celebrates and remembers the stalwarts of local government, and the name of Cecil Donaldson is cemented among among them. May he rest in peace, and God’s light shine eternally on him.”