Golding promises ongoing road maintenance, agricultural fund under PNP gov't

 

Opposition Leader Mark Golding has said he will ensure there is an ongoing allocation of resources for rehabilitation of roadways across the island should the People's National Party (PNP) form the next government. 

 

Mr. Golding said while there has been a focus on building highways, other roads are neglected. But he promised that a future PNP administration will ensure attention is given to restoring roadways to peak driving condition. 

 

"It will take some time to restore it to the condition that the people deserve, but by focusing on road maintenance on an ongoing basis, in a very serious way, we intend to address the problem. We will also be working with places of learning, UTech and other facilities, to bring in the young engineers and have them help to ensure that the projects of road maintenance are properly designed, properly executed as well." 

 

He added that a PNP government will "empower our local government authorities so that they can look after the roads that they have responsibility for".

 

Mr. Golding said a proper road rehabilitation policy is required to adequately address the country's road network and the PNP intends to prioritise "the roads on which people drive every day to get home and to get to work, or to get wherever they need to go and [ensure] that those resources are put in place so that in the medium term we will see a significant improvement in the quality of our roads".

 

Mr. Golding was speaking Wednesday evening at a party forum in St. James.

 

In the meantime, the PNP president has also stressed the need for farmers to be given the necessary resources to ensure food security.

 

"That's why we have a progressive policy for the farmers of this country with the Agricultural Development Fund that we will be establishing. We want to see agriculture grow. We want to see our farmers empowered to produce. And food insecurity in Jamaica is at a high 55 per cent; over half of the people of Jamaica are not eating what they should be eating to be healthy and strong. 

 

"Our flagship programme, the Agricultural Development Fund will provide financing for farmers, will provide storage facilities and other necessary inputs so we can get Jamaica producing, not just for Jamaica but for other countries in the region and beyond who want to taste the good good Jamaican banana, good good Jamaican yam, and to smoke or ingest medicinally the good good Jamaican ganja," he declared.