Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, is hailing the Black River Market as a shining example of continuity across political administrations. In Officially Opening the market in St. Elizabeth’s capital on Wednesday December 10, the Minister said the market project “is part of a wider, major redevelopment programme, which will involve 25 critical markets across the island. When completed, these markets will look nothing like what we have been accustomed to. Instead, they will have proper waste management systems, sustainable rain water harvesting facilities, and solar panels for electricity”.

The Minister noted that the Black River Market started under the Administration formed by the Jamaica Labour Party in 2007, was completed under the current Administration formed by the People’s National Party, and involved a range of public and private sector partners. These included the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), and National Continental Bakery.

Tank-Weld Limited built, transported and installed 170 vending stalls, in keeping with the terms of a J$16.7 million contract with the Local Government Ministry.

In describing the Market as a prototype of what the modern, spatially efficient and multi-dimensional market will look and feel like, Minister Arscott declared that “this is not just a market upgrade, but a transformation of public space, and a driver of efficient economic activity. This Market will contribute to a major improvement in public order, as vendors and other entrepreneurs will now be in a defined area, instead of offering goods and services on the streets, and contributing to chaos in traffic management. The design of the Market accommodates the needs of vendors as well as those of consumers. That is why this facility reflects clearly identified areas, adequate parking, bathroom facilities, and food service areas.”

Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government, Hon. Colin Fagan, has challenged the leadership of the Social Development Commission (SDC), to develop a special social programme to dramatically raise the levels of civic consciousness and personal responsibility in Jamaica.

The Minister was speaking at special Awards and Retirees ceremony, to recognize the employees of the SDC.

In noting that the SDC has firmly established its social presence through sport, Minister Fagan said the Agency will have to do even more, to positively intervene in, and shape the attitudes of the Jamaican society.

“The attitudes our young people form early in life will determine whether their Life Chances…their prospects for being good, noble and productive citizens of Jamaica and indeed the world. Our problems of unemployment, underemployment, crime and corruption are all tightly tied to the kind of society we have encouraged over time.”

Minister Fagan said initiatives are needed to ensure a better quality of mother, by shaping her attitudes as a child, and initiatives for boys, to ensure that the vast majority of men become fathers who cherish and nurture their children, rather than breeders of women.

He also stated that initiatives are required which will, throughout the lives of children and young people, mould them into socially conscious, productive, curious adults with a profound moral compass.

“If we start with the infants of today, that would be a twenty-year project. That is a medium-term project in economic terms. It is critical to our efforts to develop our economy and to our chances to meet our Vision 2030 goals in a real way”.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, has expressed thanks to the Government of Japan, for its donation of two Fire Trucks and two Ambulances to the Ministry. The trucks and ambulances will be used to bolster the Jamaica Fire Brigade’s fire and emergency response infrastructure in the parish of Westmoreland.

At a special handing over ceremony on Friday, December 5, 2014, Minister Arscott noted that the assistance was provided by the Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots and Human Security Project, in partnership with the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Diplomacy.

Minister of State, Hon. Colin Fagan, noted that residents and businesses were negatively affected by a high yearly average of 474 fires in the parish, along with an average of 460 emergency cases per year.

He said the Ministry, along with the Divisional and Constituency representatives, was driven by the desire to serve the needs of the people of Westmoreland. In his response, Japan’s Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Yasuo Takase, noted that the Government of Japan was driven by its desire to assist economic and social growth in developing countries, and to promote international cooperation.

Out of these complementary objectives, the Project for Improvement of Ambulances and Fire Trucks of Emergency Response in Westmoreland was born, and a Grant of just over US$81,000 provided by the Japanese government.

Mayor of Savanna-La-Mar, Councillor Bertel Moore, and Member of Parliament for Eastern Westmoreland and State Minister for Agriculture & Fisheries, Labour a& Social Security, Luther Buchanan, expressed gratitude for the donation, stating that it will ensure that the people of Westmoreland will work and live with a greater sense of assurance.

They also asked that the vehicles are meticulously cared for, not only by the Jamaica Fire Brigade but by the ordinary citizens.

Honourable Noel Arscott, Minister of Local Government and Community Development along with Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority and other officials visited the Riverton Landfill on Monday May 5, 2014. Residents have been inconvenienced by smoke resulting from the recent fire at the landfill – allegedly by arsonists. Monday’s visit provided an opportunity to look at the work in progress and examine some possible steps that could yield improvements for the landfill.

Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority, Jennifer Edwards reported that the entire area of the landfill that was on fire has been covered. Ms. Edwards made it clear that they are very determined to meet as many of the requirements laid out by the National Environment and Planning Agency. They have already begun the water quality testing process and they are working along with NEPA and other entities to look at air quality monitoring. The Executive Director also pointed out that approximately 25 acres of the landfill has already been covered and once the rest is covered they will re-cell the site and; dependent on the resources they will do a weekly or monthly coverage. She further went on to say that in light of the difficulty to meet some of the requirements set out by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the NSWMA is lobbying the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development and other entities to see how they can assist them to comply but in the interim they will use the $61million in the budget to start the process.

Minister Arscott explained that the government is actively pursuing the possibility of the waste to energy facility which will result in proper management of the landfill and a reduction in the risk of fires. The Ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining and the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change to have this facility established. They are also trying to source enough funds to properly cover the area that in case another fire should occur, it will be easily contained. The amount of plastic containers observed on site was a cause for concern; the Minister took the opportunity to point out the need for more persons to reduce, reuse and recycle so as to lessen the amount of flammable waste that gets into the landfill, thus minimizing the possibilities of frequent fires. The Minister has promised to provide details of a more comprehensive approach to be taken when he speaks in the 2014/2015 Sectoral Debates.

The Honorable Colin Fagan, Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, last week, delivered on his commitment to have the Portmore Fire Station house the pilot for a Resource and Outreach Programme, which will seek to transform fire stations across the island. The official opening ceremony which was held at the Portmore Fire Station on Thursday, May 1, was well attended by residents of Portmore and representatives from the various stakeholder groups.

This project was realized through collaboration between the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the Social Development Commission, community volunteers, and the Universal Service Fund. The collaborative efforts between these entities saw the provision of twenty (20) computers, other technology learning devices, corresponding software, internet service and internal adjustments to the Portmore Fire Station, located in Waterford. The Centre is expected to:

• Provide skills training to community and development area members
• Improve literacy, computer skills and over all academic performance for young people in the community.
• Utilize technology as a tool to foster educational development with lifelong (adult) learning.
• Facilitate access to the internet and communication by residents.

The State Minister, in his main address at the function, urged residents to use the Centre with caution, while taking advantage of the opportunities that the Centre provides, as it was established with the aim of improving the lives of residents in and around Portmore. The Portmore Resource and Outreach Centre is a pilot project that is expected to be a leading example of community development initiatives that will be adopted and replicated around the island.