Golding

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has reiterated his government's intention to turn around development approvals within 90 days as well as its plan to establish a single agency to help achieve this.

"I am serious when I say that if come day 91, they (the government agencies) have not addressed it (development plans), then proceed with your construction, proceed with your development," Golding told a real estate symposium on Wednesday.

Developers have complained that the system for gaining approval of their projects is complex and slow. It sometimes takes years to get the green light for their developments, sometimes negatively impacting the feasibility of the projects.

Ahead of last September's general election, Golding's Jamaica Labour Party pledged to so something about the problem, promising a central clearing agency, comprising representatives of all the critical bodies, to help fast-track approvals.

Environmentalists worried

Environmental groups, however, have been critical of the plan, concerned that the promised three-month clearance date might not provide enough time to rigorously review environmental impact assessments.

Furthermore, the post-90-day go-ahead rule could provide a blank cheque to unscrupulous developers who might see it as a loophole to be exploited. Golding, nonetheless, signalled his intention to push ahead with the plan.

"We intend to establish one central entity on which all of the critical regulatory bodies will be represented," he said. He warned, though, that the shift would demand complex legal procedures.

In the interim, a number of critical agencies, such as the Natural Resources and Conservation Authority and National Environment and Planning Agency, would be controlled by a single board.