Frome Sugar factory workers handed lease agreements

Over 40 employees of the Frome Sugar Estate in Westmoreland were recently presented with lease agreements as part of relocation efforts for workers under the Sugar Transformation Programme.  

The housing project is aimed at regularising the occupation of houses and lands owned by the Government at Frome, Monymusk and Bernard Lodge by giving the occupants an opportunity to lease land with an option to purchase.

 Former Agriculture Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton who issued the lease agreements described the occasion as significant but pointed out its success would require the workers’ support.

“It is going to be important finally for  you the community members to support the efforts were we are trying to advance.  Because there is a process, it is not an event. Today you are going to get  and be recognized for a piece of land that ou will benefit from as a part of the relocation exercise… your support to the programme is going to be abosolutely critical” he  said.

However, while the occasion was  lauded as a significant step in addressing social issues under the Sugar Transformation Programme,  Deputy Mayor of Savanna-la Mar and Councillor for the Frome Division, Paul Wilson, says he has several concerns about the project.

“Most persons if not all, they have only been viewing these lease documents for the first time today and they are concerned that they are being somewhat pushed to sign the lease arrangements without getting legal advise of counsel from elsewhere.  The lease arrangement speaks to a certain time period of two years so it raises the question  where are these persons to live until they are given the opportunity and the legal right to start building" said Mr Wilson.