PNP councillors take issue with Morgan's criticism over lack of road maintenance

 

 

The tit-for-tat over the maintenance of parochial roads is continuing between People's National Party councillors and Works Minister Robert Morgan following his recent media comments.

 

Minister Morgan has criticised some councillors for not fixing roads in their divisions, despite the increase in the yearly allocation to the Parochial Revenue Fund.

 

He has taken aim at Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby for being slow in releasing more funds to councillors.

 

Minister Morgan has urged Jamaicans to hold Central Government and Local Authorities equally responsible for repairing main and parochial roads, respectively.

 

But, in a media release Tuesday, the National Caucus of PNP Councillors has labelled the minister's comments as an intemperate outburst, adding that councillors do not shy away from accountability. 

 

It was noted that of the approximately 27,000 kilometres of road in Jamaica, municipal corporations have responsibility for more than 15,000 kilometres.

 

Norman Scott, President of the PNP Councillor Caucus and Mayor of Spanish Town, has asserted that the real issue is whether the level of funding provided to municipal corporations is sufficient for effective maintenance and rehabilitation of this extensive road network. 

 

He noted that municipal corporations get just over $6 billion annually across all parishes to attend to competing demands, including road maintenance and drain cleaning, while the Government's SPARK programme is allocated $45 billion and REACH patching programme gets $4 billion.

 

"The Caucus therefore strongly objects to the minister's intemperate and divisive comments and urges that the discussion should move beyond blame towards transparency and equity. We call on the minister to publish all the numbers and allow Jamaicans to know the full picture instead of indulging in this everlasting blame game, and take accountability of his ministry," Mr. Scott demanded.

 

The National Caucus of PNP Councillors has also called for increased allocations to the Parochial Revenue Fund and a sustainable financing framework that gives municipal corporations the capacity and resources to properly maintain roads for which they have statutory responsibility.