We were very encouraged by the policy direction delivered by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness last November as he outlined six key pillars of the Government’s growth strategy that, he said, will “move beyond plans and policies and deliver tangible results for the Jamaican people”.

In what he labelled the next chapter of Jamaica’s economic transformation Prime Minister Holness told the nation that the Administration is set on pivoting to inclusive growth.

Quite correctly, Mr Holness pointed out that robust economic growth will not be achieved by focusing only on Kingston and Montego Bay. The Government, he said, will be focussing on developing the local economy of every parish. That, he said, is the thinking behind the highway from May Pen to Williamsfield and the new highway stretching from Harbour View to Port Antonio.

He also reminded us that the implementation of the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) programme is crucial to the Administration’s growth agenda as 60 main roads and approximately 600 priority roads across the island’s 63 constituencies have been earmarked for rehabilitation.

We accept that not all roads will be repaired under this programme. After all, the network is vast. To make matters worse, many thoroughfares are in a state of disrepair due to a number of factors, among them neglect, wear and tear, age, the effects of climate change, and reckless abuse by citizens who, while protesting issues that have angered them, set fire to implements they use to block the roads.

However, we cannot fathom the continuation of this primitive arrangement of a split in responsibility for roads between central and local authorities that is affecting proper maintenance.

Over the past week this newspaper has highlighted three instances of this farcical system, the latest being what obtains at Newport West, where the roads are appalling to say the least.

According to Mr Robert Nesta Morgan, the minister with responsibility for works, the roads at Newport West are not classified as major roads and as such do not fall under the responsibility of the National Works Agency (NWA). Instead, the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has authority.

That is cold comfort to us, as the KSAMC does not have a stellar reputation of maintaining infrastructure. In fact, it cannot even put an end to the decades-old chaos of street vending in downtown Kingston.

Against that background, we understand the frustration expressed by Mr Geoffrey Ziadie over the buck-passing on the matter of road maintenance in Newport West.

Mr Ziadie, whose Chad-Ad Distributors is located in Newport West, argued last week that the KSAMC and NWA are State agencies; therefore, the responsibility for roads lies with the Government. He also expressed fear that lives could be lost, given some of the mishaps that have occurred in that area because of the road conditions.

But, just as important, his emphasis that the port is one of the gateways to Jamaica’s economy cannot be ignored. The reality is that the roads in that area need to be fixed and the country, focussed on growth and development, should not be caught up in blame-shifting on this issue.

A single road authority would spare us the ducking of responsibility. The NWA, we reiterate, is perfectly suited for that role, but it must be equipped with built-in mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency.