Dear Editor,

This year, Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated that the National Housing Trust (NHT) will partner with several public and private sector entities to develop more than 10,000 housing solutions over the next four years. Parishes which will benefit include St Catherine, Trelawny, St Elizabeth, Hanover, Manchester and St James. No St Thomas mentioned.

Last week the PM announced that a much needed highway for St Thomas will be a “re-scoped” project with reduced cost from the original US$504 million to US$384 million. He said that it will cover a four-lane highway from Harbour View to Bull Bay, largely utilizing the existing alignment of the existing road. So, St Thomas will now have only one main road, instead of a toll road and an alternate road.

Unfortunately we are left behind by the PM again for economic development.

New houses and a new toll road would have created the much need wealth in St Thomas. It would increase the residents’ property values, encourage people to live in St Thomas, encourage businesses to come to St Thomas and maybe create an airport out East to boost tourism.

St Thomas is the least economically developed parish in Jamaica. In order to increase development, we need a good highway, a good alternative roadway and NHT to build homes in the parish. When was the last time NHT built a housing scheme in St Thomas?

The PM has saved US$120 million, but he has deprived the people of St Thomas of US$120 billion dollars in the spin-off of wealth , which would come from bsp;having a local road and a toll road. No one can deny the instant development that comes to an area from having a toll road; just ask the people who live out west.

PM please stop leaving the people of St Thomas out of in your economic development plan. Please leave the original plan intact. The people of St Thomas have waited patiently for the toll road. Please let the original toll road plan go ahead, so that we can have a toll road and the alternate existing road, so our parish can develop economically like out West.

Michelle Smith

St Thomas