Building a Better Jamaica

BY GARFIELD MYERS Editor-at-Large South/Central Bureau
Thursday, September 02, 2010

NEW Market, St Elizabeth — Prime Minister Bruce Golding on Tuesday heaped praise on China for its visionary approach to international relations and for persisting with "collaborative" development projects with countries like Jamaica despite the hostile economic climate globally.

Speaking at the launch of the five-year US$400-million Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme involving comprehensive rehabilitation of the island's road network at Lewisville High School, Golding said the Chinese, whose loan funds will underwrite 85 per cent of the project, had consistently shown an inclination to "look" long term.

"Over the last two years, while going through this terrible global recession, many of our traditional bilateral partners have either adopted a position where 'look, we know you under pressure, but we under pressure too, so check us back another time', or they have taken a view that 'now is not a time to look too far ahead' because the road in front of you is so cloudy, so foggy ... we have to wait until the world comes out of recession before we start making long-term commitments," said Golding.

However, he said, "One of the things I appreciate about the Chinese Government and the Chinese people generally is that they pierce through the fog. They look long term, they may see a hill but they look over the brow of the hill, they may see a corner in the road but they have a way of looking round the corner..., they think long term and that is why they are increasingly becoming critical development partners for Jamaica..."

Golding said China's vision and preparedness to proactively assist poor,developing countries had been exemplified not only in relation to the road rehabilitation project but also in other areas, not least the partnership to save Jamaica's ailing sugar industry.

Under the road project arrangement, China Harbour — described by Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry as a "Fortune 500 company with an unchallengable record" — will serve as the implementing contractor in partnership with the National Works Agency of the Ministry of Transport and Works, the Department of Local Government and the parish councils.

Speakers emphasised Tuesday that the work would not be attempted all at once but would be spread over five years. In St Elizabeth, 10 roads are to be rehabilitated by March 2011 while 12 others are to get periodic maintenance. The Black River sea wall adjacent to the Black River Hospital is to be completed in the March 2011 time frame.

Golding said he had insisted that the St Elizabeth launch should take place in New Market because of the poor state of roads in NW St Elizabeth where JC Hutchinson is the long-serving member of parliament.

Down the years, Hutchinson has repeatedly insisted that the People's National Party Government of 1989 to 2007 did not repair roads in his constituency because of "political victimisation". He repeated that charge Tuesday even while describing the occasion of the road rehabilitation launch as a "glorious day".