KINGSTON, Jamaica — Cabinet has approved a partnership to be established between the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ) and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Limited, for the construction of between 1,650 and 1,900 housing solutions at Bernard Lodge in St Catherine.

This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator Ruel Reid, at a Post Cabinet press briefing, held at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) today.

The minister pointed out that the housing solutions will be built in six phases over a period of 60 months.

“CHEC had submitted an unsolicited proposal to undertake the development, and following negotiations, agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding. It must be noted that 263 acres of the northern portion had been separated from the property due to the construction of Highway 2000,” Reid said.

He further noted that contracts entered into since 2013 for the development of those lands have been terminated because of inactivity on the part of the contractors.