Local Government and Rural Development Minister Mourns Passing of Councillor Yvonne McCormack

Posted on May 14, 2021May 14, 2021

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Hon. Desmond McKenzie has expressed great sadness at the death of Councillor for the Greater Portmore East Division in the Portmore Municipality, Ms. Yvonne McCormack. Councillor McCormack died earlier today.

“Yvonne had been fighting Multiple Myeloma from 2014, and breast cancer since 2011. A fact that she was very open about and she did not allow these severe health challenges to keep her down; in fact she found the strength to campaign in Southern St. Catherine in the February 2016 General Election, and she campaigned victoriously to remain Councillor for her Division in the Local Government Elections in November that year. I believe that determination came not only from her strong faith, but also from her never-say-die, firebrand personality.

“Councillor McCormack was a dedicated elected representative, and her very strong presence is going to be missed in the Portmore Municipality; in fact, she was in attendance of the Monthly Council meeting up to March of this year. I extend my personal condolences to her immediate family, to the Mayor of Portmore and the Councillors of the Portmore Municipality, and to the members of her political family, the People’s National Party. She rededicated herself to Christian service, and I have no doubt that she is now not only free of pain and struggle, but also enjoying the loving countenance of the Almighty.”

Local Government and Rural Development Minister Announces Time Concession to Allow for Florists, Gift Shops and Pharmacies to Operate Until 4pm On Sunday May 9, 2021

Posted on May 7, 2021

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has announced that florists, gift shops and pharmacies will be allowed to operate for two hours beyond this coming Sunday’s 2pm curfew. Only persons employed to those businesses will be allowed to be at their workplace or make deliveries to customers during the hours of 2pm and 4pm on Sunday, May 9, 2021, to facilitate the creation/making of and the delivery of gifts celebrating Mother’s Day. Customers will not be allowed to be served at the business premises.

“We recognize that this year, the traditional gatherings and other expressions of love and appreciation for our mothers will not be possible, and so the Government wanted to do something practical to acknowledge the blessing of family on this most special of days in Jamaica, and indeed across the world.

“Though the management of COVID-19 continues to require the observance of the public health measures including curfews, the Government at the same time recognizes the very special emotional place that Mother’s Day has in the hearts of our people. As a mark of respect and appreciation for all our nation’s women, the I want to emphasize that this two-hour extension is exclusively for these entities and persons, to help to spread joy on Mother’s Day. Members of the public are to be off the streets at 2 pm on Sunday, as required by the Disaster Risk Management Order.

Local Government Minister Announces Resumption of Premier League Football

Posted on May 6, 2021

Local football fans will soon be able to enjoy the thrill of competition, as approval has been given for the resumption of Premier League football. The announcement was made by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie.

 

“This decision came at the end of a meeting I chaired today involving representatives of the Ministries of Health and Wellness, and Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Premier League Clubs Association, the Jamaica Football Federation, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and the Social Development Commission. We have been meeting for some time, to ensure that all possible mechanisms concerning the efficient prevention and management of COVID-19 are applied to all aspects of Club competition, including the health and safety of players, referees and Club workers and administrators. Further details regarding the starting times and the conditions under which the competitions will be held, will be disclosed at a later date.

 

“Even as the management of COVID-19 remains paramount, the Government is keen for sport to resume in a phased, orderly manner, consistent with the continued reduction in the country’s positivity rate. The impact of sport on social well-being and social development is well recognized, and the Government will support all efforts to promote the enjoyment of sport in the safest way possible. In this regard, the Government is actively considering applications from a range of sporting Associations.”

Supplies Worth More Than $20 Million Going To SVG

Posted on April 22, 2021April 22, 2021

More than $20 million worth of supplies are bound for St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), as part of Jamaica’s disaster relief aid, as they continue to cope with the erupting La Soufriere volcano.

Speaking at the Kingston Wharves Terminal on April 21, where he called on the crew of the HMBS Lawrence Major, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, said the coordinated effort is a “demonstration of Caribbean unity”.

“The Government was approached to provide assistance to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines… [and] we mobilised the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) to coordinate the efforts. Getting the supplies was easy, but transporting posed the difficulty that we have faced at all times when we are asked to respond, and our friends in The Bahamas have demonstrated, again, what Caribbean unity is all about,” Mr. McKenzie said.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) crew aboard the HMBS Lawrence Major responded to the call and received supplies from Jamaica on April 21 and will be transporting them to St. Vincent and the Grenadines on behalf of Jamaica. The vessel leaves port 9:00 a.m. on April 22 for its journey to the eastern Caribbean.

Mr. McKenzie thanked the private- and public-sector entities that partnered to make the donation to SVG possible.

“I want to say a big thank you to the Jamaicans for responding in this very positive way. The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, the Red Cross, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of Agriculture and Food for the Poor came together and did a fantastic job in not only accepting donations and contributions from a wide cross section of Jamaicans but digging into their own resources to provide the assistance that is needed for the people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” he added.

Mr. McKenzie also thanked the Jamaica Defence Force for organising transport with the RBDF and helping the Government to gather supplies within the designated timeline. He also thanked the Kingston Wharves Limited, which provided berthing facilities and logistics services.

For his part, Senior Director of Preparedness and Emergency Operations at the ODPEM, Horace Glaze, said water and canned food items have been provided.

“We have also supported with tents for the purposes of emergency shelter as well as for operating in the area, and we have also provided portable toilets to support those who are evacuated and are in shelter, as well as the troops on the ground who are coordinating the evacuation and shelter efforts,” he added.

For his part, Commanding Officer of the Lawrence Major, Lt. Commander Omarv Saunders, said the RBDF is also committed to helping the SVG.

“We are called to service and we are prepared to assist St. Vincent and the Grenadines and their recovery efforts. Just not so long ago, the JDF and the Government of Jamaica assisted The Bahamas in the passage of Hurricane Dorian, so we know exactly what it is to require and need assistance. We appreciate that so much and, hopefully, we can continue to assist as best as we can,” Lt. Commander Saunders said.

Local Government Minister Announces Structure of Support for St. Vincent And the Grenadines

Posted on April 14, 2021February 21, 2022

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says Jamaica is organizing support for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which are now being battered by the erupting La Soufriere Volcano.

“Our Government has been in contact with the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and we are organizing logistical and other forms of support to our brothers and sisters there. We are also fully aware that this devastating event has evoked great concern from our corporate and general citizenry. We are working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and other private sector partners, which include the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporter’s Association, to finalise relief efforts.

An account numbered 212387304, has also been opened at the National Commercial Bank, Oxford Place Branch to accept donations from the public.”

The Government is honoured to stand with the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in this difficult hour, and we reaffirm the concern for and the friendship we feel with them as part of the Caribbean family, as together, we see this period through until the return of normal life.

Bill passed to amend the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA)

Posted on April 1, 2021

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The amendments to the Disaster Risk Management Act (DRMA) allowing for sanctions for infringements under the Covid-19 protocols have been passed to statute.

The Bill to amend the DRMA was passed on Tuesday evening (March 30, 2021) with three amendments and will introduce enforceable penalties against persons who commit breaches under the Act. The fines range from J$3000 to J$500,000.

Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, piloted the Bill in the Lower House on March 23.

“These amendments to the Disaster Risk Management Act are clear, and they have been crafted in pursuit of clear objectives. The circumstances in which the Act can be invoked have been expanded, to ensure that the Government has at all times, the legislative authority within which it can respond swiftly to challenges and secure the interests of the population,” he said.

“At the same time, these changes set out clear sanctions for those who undermine the mission of balancing lives and livelihoods through personal and other forms of irresponsibility, and who, at this point in time, are hindering the effort to save lives, in the face of rising numbers of infections and hospitalizations.”

The Senate passed the Bill to amend the DRMA during its sitting on March 26.

“It has been just over one year since the Coronavirus pandemic made an unwelcome arrival in Jamaica. Since March 10, 2020, the Government has employed the Disaster Risk Management Act as the primary legislative tool to manage this public health crisis,” added Minister McKenzie.

“With respect to the matter of these fixed penalties or fines, I wish to make one thing very clear. These penalties do not replace the sanctions for offences that are already in the principal Disaster Risk Management Act. Anyone who commits an offence, and who is brought to court and convicted before a Resident Magistrate, is still liable to a maximum fine of one million dollars or to imprisonment not exceeding one year.”

PLEASE SEE TIER OF OFFENCES AND PENALTIES

Local Government Minister Outlines Special Plans For Easter Weekend Lockdown

Posted on April 1, 2021April 1, 2021

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, is giving the assurance that preparations are in place to facilitate several special-interest groupings during the extended lockdown over the easter weekend.

Minister McKenzie states that the arrangements are in place to accommodate the homeless population across the country.

“We will be providing food supplies for the homeless during the extended period of lockdown. In fact, all the Drop-In Centres and similar facilities islandwide operated under the Municipal Corporations will be opened to assist persons who normally access them for meals and medical services. The initiative to construct these facilities began in 2018 under our social protection programme as a means of providing a safe haven for the homeless and mentally-challenged,” he explains.

“Additionally, last weekend’s special feeding programme saw more than 5000 meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner provided for the homeless right across the country. This is in keeping with the range of measures in place to address the vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The islandwide curfew will begin at 8:00pm on Thursday, April 1 with a lockdown on Good Friday, April 2, 2021. On Saturday, April 3; the curfew hours will begin at 12 noon until 5:00am on Tuesday, April 6. During the lockdown, citizens must remain at their places of abode.

Opening of Gas Stations

The Local Government and Rural Development Minister says that gas stations will be permitted to operate during the lockdown hours to facilitate the essential services and other authorised persons who are allowed to move about.

“Gas stations will not be opened to the general public, and those persons who are allowed to move about during the lockdown periods are asked to have proper forms of identification. Gas station operators are reminded that only petroleum products are to be sold during these special hours of business.”

Trucking of Water

Minister also adds that arrangements are in place for the trucking of water to areas that will require the commodity during the Easter Weekendlockdown. The Municipal Corporations and the National Water Commission (NWC) will be spearheading this project.

“I also want to use this opportunity to emphasize that there should be no gatherings for parties, round robins or any cookouts. Please remember to continue wearing your masks; maintain six-feet social distance, and use a sanitiser where you cannot readily wash your hands with soap and water. The security forces will be out in communities to enforce the protocols that have been announced.”

Local Government Minister Mourns the Passing of Councillor Derron Wood

Posted on March 18, 2021March 19, 2021

Hon. Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development has expressed sadness at the passing of the Councillor for the Fairy Hill Division in Portland, Derron Wood. Councillor Wood died in hospital earlier today.

“It is a bitter blow for us in the Jamaica Labour Party family. Derron was a popular and highly respected Councillor, who served the people of Fairy Hill in that capacity for nearly 18 years. He emerged as a new Councillor in 2003, when we won the Local Government Elections as a party in Opposition. He made such an impact throughout Eastern Portland that by 2016, he was the party’s candidate for the General Election. Though he did not win, he put his energy into the campaign to support the current Member of Parliament. I know that she is hurting, the Portland Municipal Corporation family is in pain, and people all over Eastern Portland are grieving.

“It was just under six months ago that we lost Councillor Irwin Brown from the Fellowship Division in the same Constituency. I salute the work and the very visible legacy that Derron Wood has left in Eastern Portland and especially in the Fairy Hill Division. He has cemented himself into the modern history of local governance in this part of Portland, and he is already being greatly missed. No words can ease the pain of his passing, but I offer especially to his family, the assurance that he lived an exemplary life, and has made his parish a better place because he stepped forward to serve.”

Use NSWMA Mobile App to Report Uncollected Garbage, Dumping And Littering

Posted on March 17, 2021May 20, 2021

Citizens are being encouraged to utilise the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) mobile application to report instances of littering, illegal dumping and uncollected garbage and access waste management information at their fingertips.

Speaking in a recent interview with JIS News, NSWMA Community Relations Manager, Kimberley Blair, said that “users can download this app by visiting the iOS or Android play stores and type in ‘NSWMA’.

“Users are able to upload images of garbage in a public space, littering and illegal dumping. Once this image is uploaded, the app sends a geotag report automatically to us here at the NSWMA and the user then receives a reference number and is able to follow the progress of the case within the app,” she informed.

“We encourage persons to help us in that regard by reporting littering and illegal dumping by downloading the mobile app,” she urged.

The app also notifies the user when their report has been received by the NSWMA’s Community Relations Department, when it is being dealt with and when garbage has been collected or the matter resolved.

The mobile app was created to provide a centralised space where users can voice their concerns and suggestions, with the assurance that these will be delivered through the proper channels and resolved as quickly as possible.

The main categories for reports in the app are uncollected/delayed garbage collection and illegal dumping. In the category of uncollected/delayed garbage collection, most of the reports have come in from the region covering Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Thomas. Reports of illegal dumping have come in from Clarendon, St. Ann and St. James.

Ms. Blair shared that the app has been successful in helping the NSWMA address and resolve many of the reports within a short time frame.

“We launched the app in June 2020, and since that time we have received close to 300 reports and had over 600 downloads. It has been very successful, as we have been able to resolve cases in 24 to 48 hours,” Ms. Blair told JIS News.

“The app also offers a garbage-collection schedule and recycling tips for home, work and school, and we are looking at adding some exciting updates in the very near future. We will also be sharing our tutorial soon on our social media platforms, so residents can see how easy it is to make a report,” she noted further.

As part of the Authority’s Stamp Out Littering and Illegal Dumping (SOLID) campaign, persons can also report offenders and offences in the public space to the NSWMA by calling 876-448-3220.

Local Government and Rural Development Minister Announces Adjustment to Island-Wide Ban on Burials

Posted on March 15, 2021

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has announced an adjustment to the two-week ban on burials currently in force, to allow for the disposal of human remains in specially prescribed circumstances. “Having met with Funeral Directors and related stakeholders last week, a number of proposals emerged from those conversations. Accordingly, approval has been given for:

1. The burial or cremation of bodies that are in an advanced state of decomposition.

2. The burial or cremation of bodies that are not in an advanced state of decomposition, but have been recommended for immediate burial by the appropriate health authorities, and

3. The burial or cremation of indigent persons who die in state care.

 

“These measures took effect on Saturday, March 13. I want to make it clear that only the clergy will be allowed to administer the final rites for persons who are buried or cremated in these three circumstances. No family gathering will be allowed. The current Order prohibiting burials remains in effect.”

The Minister also stated that approval has been given to allow families to obtain Death Certificates for submission to the Registrar General’s Department, to facilitate preparations for burials once the ban is lifted. “What this means is that effective Monday March 15, the Registrar General’s Department will issue Burial Orders after receiving Death Certificates, so that families and Funeral Homes can make all the necessary arrangements for the final send-off of the deceased once the ban on burials is lifted. No burials are being authorized by this change. As an additional measure to ensure compliance with the ban on burials, I also want to make it very clear that the Municipal Corporations will not be issuing Interment Orders, without which no final disposal of a body can be done. This ban on burials came about because of the total disregard for the COVID-19 protocols at gravesites all over the country, and the connection between this behaviour and the spike in cases and hospitalizations. The Government will continue to do everything to bring these numbers down, and save lives.”

Minister McKenzie also indicated that the Government is considering additional proposals made by the stakeholders in the afterlife industry, and commended them for their understanding, strong sense of partnership and co-operation with the Administration, as it continues to implement the necessary strategies to preserve and promote public health.