Ambassador Marco Mazzocchi Alemanni, newly appointed head of delegation of the European Commission to Jamaica, speaks during a press conference yesterday at the commission's office on Oliver Road, St. Andrew. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter

Ambassador Marco Mazzocchi Alemanni, newly-appointed head of delegation of the European Commission to Jamaica, has expressed dissatisfaction with the pace at which the construction of segment three of the North Coast Highway is progressing.

The EU ambassador raised the concern during an interview with The Gleaner after a press conference yesterday morning at the commission's office in Kingston.

"Some time ago I visited the highwaywith Mr. (Robert) Pickersgill (Minister of Transport and Works) and I raised the concern of the slow pace of the implementation of the highway," he said.

Measures not enough

According to the ambassador, while the contractors have put in place some measures, these were not enough.

"I am pleased that some steps are being taken, but I wish for additional steps to be taken."

The European Union (EU) is funding the Ocho Rios to Port Antonio leg of the highway at a cost of J$5.7 billion.

Earlier on, the ambassador had said that the EU would be re-examining its approach in the way its programmes are implemented.

"... If in the next five years, the union will have over 15 billion dollars of grants at the disposal of our cooperation with Jamaica, we then have to move at once to a novel, speedier way of implementing our joint programmes."

He said traditional projects have been cumbersome. He said the EU would be moving to a more mature relationship whereby it would be directly supporting the Government's agenda to the extent that it is similar to the EU's.

"And we cannot think of more crucial aspects of this agenda, present and future, than those pertaining to debt and to crime, because every Jamaican, especially the poor is directly or indirectly concerned by this plague," he said.

dionne.rose@gleanerjm.com