PERSONS waiting for the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) to approve their building applications can now track the approval process through an AMANDA electronic system set up by the Corporation, Kingston Mayor Angela Brown Burke disclosed Tuesday.

The mayor, who boasted that the KSAC was now processing 80 per cent of the building applications it received within 90 days, told the council that since 2012 systemic changes had been made at the KSAC to make the building application process more transparent.

In 2012/ 2013, several developers criticised the slow turnaround process at the KSAC.

The mayor said that even though in some instances a manual system was still being used when the building application was made, once it was entered it was put on an electronic list and could be tracked right through until it went to the meeting of the Building and Town Planning Committee.

Brown Burke said that a help desk had also been set up at the KSAC to enable persons with building plans to have their preliminary questions answered.

The mayor, meanwhile, said the recent arrest of a building officer employed to the KSAC by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, showed that the corporation was not in support of corrupt behaviour.

“In early 2012, a decision was taken that the perception of corruption could not continue. We decided that transparency would shine the light and would expose those involved in corrupt practices. I have made it clear that the KSAC does not support officers who solicit money for the job they are doing, or who want persons to let off to ensure the quick turnaround of their application,” she said.

The mayor said that persons had complained that they were being pressured, “but refuse to give details to allow us to take action,” she said.

“If an applicant believes that the application was taking too long, then call us,” she advised, noting that the KSAC was co-operating fully with the police in their probe.

— Claudienne Edwards