WATCH: Sections of Westmoreland may not receive electricity until May 2026— Mayor Delancy
WESTMORELAND, Jamaica— Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar and councillor for the Bethel Town Division in Westmoreland, Danree Delancy, says some sections of the parish may not have electricity restored until May 2026.
Delancy made the revelation during an interview with Observer Online, saying he was advised of the timeline by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Jamaica Public Service, Hugh Grant, during a recent meeting.
The mayor said electricity has been restored to the majority of Negril and the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital.
He also raised concerns that some businesses in the parish may not be able to recover from the structural damage from Hurricane Melissa coupled with the lack of electricity.
“I am concerned that maybe some of these businesses might not be able to recuperate from this. A lot of businesses have suffered structural damage, and that leads to financial loss. And then again, being closed for so long, and some of these businesses also depend on electricity because you can acquire a generator, yes. But for businesses to do generators, to go the generator way, you can be looking at these ten thousand dollars per day,” he said.
According to Delancy, 60 per cent of small businesses have been closed following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
Additionally, the mayor said several residents who are employed in the tourism sector are without jobs.
“So people are struggling to build back their homes while at the same time, they’re out of a job,” he said.
Meanwhile, the mayor said he has been receiving complaints from affected residents surrounding government assistance in the form of building materials to rebuild their homes destroyed by Melissa.
“Citizens are still complaining that they’re not getting assistance with building materials and all that. But thanks to the private citizens and private organisations who have been stepping in and trying to fill the gap,” Delancy said.
He, however, noted that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (OPEM) has been distributing supplies in the parish.
“Each municipal corporation was also afforded $250,000 to buy stuff and prepare care packages for our citizens as well. All of that, as far as I know, has been spent by the respective divisions. But there’s still a lot that needs to be done,” he added.
