Today we continue our look at the 2002 manifesto of the People's National Party (PNP). Here we focus on some infrastructure programmes that should have created thousands of jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers this term, as well as housing solutions for the poor.
PROMISES
Millennium Projects
Highway 2000, an important pathway to future development, is expected to add significantly to GDP growth and provide some 54,000 jobs in the medium term and 120,000 in the long term.
Its accompanying developments will include:
Vernamfield Cargo Airport to create 14,000 new jobs.
Milk River Spa Resort Development
Construction of New Town in Clarendon
A Maroon theme park in the Cockpit Country.
DELIVERIES
Highway 2000 has now completed phase one of its construction with the opening of the Portmore leg of the highway in July this year. Construction of that segment produced only some 1,000 temporary jobs. It is not clear how many people were employed on the earlier phase.
Its accompanying developments, the Vernamfield Airport, Milk River development, the New Town construction and the maroon theme park are still to be properly conceived and put on stream.
PROMISES
Rural Roads
We will, in the next term, embark on the most massive programme of rural road reconstruction.
We have established by legislation a maintenance fund for roads which will receive one third of all funds from motor vehicle licences.
DELIVERIES
Most of the island's rural roads are in an embarrassing state of disrepair, many of them for several years. The consistent blocking of roads to protest against the state of roads in the news media throughout the year, points to only a fraction of the poor state of rural roads in Jamaica.
A road maintenance fund was established receiving one third of funds from motor vehicle licences. A national road services improvement project (NSRIP) was also established to support the National Works Agency with routine road maintenance. The NSRIP was able to provide $1 billion support for road maintenance projects.
PROMISES
Housing
The PNP has distinguished itself for having provided the most housing solutions to the greatest number of Jamaicans. Building on this solid foundation, the People's National Party will in the next term:
Improve further on its impressive record.
Develop a new comprehensive township on lands in Inverness in Clarendon.
Continue the revitalised Operation PRIDE project to provide land tenure to thousands more.
DELIVERIES
Since 2002, the Government has been able to deliver on some of its promises where housing is concerned. It has already completed phase one and two of the Inner-City Housing Project in Denham Town and Trench Town. The whole project is expected to create 5,000 apartments in inner-city areas of the Corporate Area, and some rural parishes.
Development in Inverness, where the New Town project should have been undertaken, is yet to start. It is not known whether plans for the project have been shelved.
The National Housing Development Corporation is also set to provide 3,075 housing solutions by the end of the fiscal year under Operation PRIDE.
