Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced improvements to the ongoing islandwide mitigation programme which involves bushing, drain cleaning and road patching in critical areas.

On November 2, in keeping with the regular cycle of mitigation work, the Government announced a programme to cost $548 million (excluding fees). The programme was scoped by the National Works Agency (NWA) based on its strategic template of priorities. This means the NWA determines the areas in greatest need.

Providing an update on the programme in Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Holness said that though the programme was scoped for $548 million, the Ministry of Finance has so far allocated only $400 million. Of that sum, $124 million was paid out to contractors as of Friday November 25. This, the PM said, shows there can be no valid accusation that the programme was used to influence the recent local government elections.

Prime Minister Holness said the figure paid out to contractors now stands at $219 million.

The remaining sum, $180 million, will be used exclusively to deal with the island’s drainage network, according to the NWA’s strategic template of priorities.

“The innuendos and aspersions being cast on such an important national programme are unfair and shameful,” said Prime Minister Holness. “The country is coming to the point of reckoning where issues such as climate change is forcing governments now to pay critical attention to their maintenance cycle,” he said.

The programme is scheduled to continue to January 2017.

The prime minister says the programme coincides with the regular cycle of mitigation works in the island and should not be a controversial matter. Since the programme began, there have been consistent rains in the island which led to significant flooding and displacement, especially in eastern parishes.

“What we have decided to do is take the programme out of the political controversy, which is developing as a crutch for people to lean on,” said the prime minister.

In addition, Holness announced that the annual beautification work to coincide with the winter tourist season and Christmas will proceed for major towns, cities and tourist resort areas.

“The MPs will get an allocation that will be at their discretion that they can use. All I would say is that I want to see the funds used in a visible way so the taxpayers can say, ‘Yes, our public resources are being used to good effect.”

Prime Minister Holness said Members of Parliament must consult with the NWA to ensure the identified priority areas are addressed.

— JIS