PRIME Minister Bruce Golding has defended the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP) saying it represents a sensible, pragmatic way to use funds raised by Government’s fuel cess to repair more roads.

“The money was mandated to fix roads and what we are saying is, use that money and leverage a bigger pile of money so that we can fix more roads and I am prepared to defend that in any council, in any forum of the world as sensible, pragmatic, common sense planning and execution,” Golding said in a Jamaica House release.

The prime minister was speaking at the launch of the JDIP in Lewisville, St Elizabeth on Tuesday.

“If we were using that cess money to do other things, if we were using that cess money to build community centres, that would be a different thing, because that is not what that money was mandated to do,” Golding added.

The JDIP is a five-year project towards infrastructure projects including the repair and maintenance of all categories of public thoroughfare, including parochial roads and roads in housing developments.

Government’s management of the fuel cess sparked controversy following Transport Minister Mike Henry’s announcement earlier in the year that the portion of the cess paid into the Road Maintenance Fund (RMF) will be used to repay a US$400-million road rehabilitation loan from the Chinese government.

Golding, on Tuesday expressed appreciation to China for supporting the government and undertaking to provide expertise and use local labour and skills.

Eleven rehabilitation works to be undertaken in St Elizabeth under the programme by the end of the fiscal year, March 2011 include the Black River sea wall, Clinic Road in Santa Cruz and the Mocho to Springfield to Brighton road. Additional roads will be maintained for this year and more projects will be added in the next fiscal year, according to Golding.

In the meantime, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Works Dr Alwin Hales, noted that the JDIP was the largest single road works undertaking of the ministry.

Chairman of the RMF, Peter Jervis also urged residents to protect the roadways once they were repaired.