Phillips denies victimisation charges

MINISTER OF Transport and Works, Dr. Peter Phillips, has denied charges made Wednesday by Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw, that his constituency was being victimised in the current deferred financing road works programme.

Dr. Phillips said that instead of the $5.9 million or 5 per cent, which Mr. Shaw claimed has been allocated to his constituency out of the $108 million budgeted for the entire parish of Manchester, the North East Manchester constituency will actually get $18 million under the Deferred Financing Programme (DFP), which requires contractors to obtain commercial bank loans guaranteed and repaid by the Ministry.

Additionally, Dr. Phillips said, that North East Manchester had other roads which are to be repaired under a Kuwaiti loan programme, which could bring the total value of repairs to $200 million.

Dr. Phillips also denied that Mr. Shaw's constituency had suffered from "prolonged victimisation." Road works already completed there were implemented at a cost of $86 million, he said.

The Minister accused Mr. Shaw of, "conveniently", omitting to mention the "extensive works to be carried out this year under various road repair programmes" and described the comments as "clearly untrue and disgraceful."

He accused Mr. Shaw of seeking additional funding for his constituency, by attempting to embarass the Ministry.

Dr. Phillips said that the whole road repair programme would be implemented without fear or favour.

Minister of State in the Ministry, Dean Peart who, according to Mr. Shaw, shares $84 million of the $108 million budget for the parish with his brother, Michael, junior minister in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, also accused the JLP Spokesman of making "false" comments.

Mr. Peart claimed that Mr. Shaw was seeking to create division between Parliament's front and back benchers.

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