PNP, JLP clash over SPARK programme

By Lorraine Mendez    

 

With just about two days left to convince the electorate to vote in their favour come Monday, Jamaica's two major political parties are continuing to hold meetings across the island.

 

Speaking at a party meeting in Brown's Town, St. Ann on Thursday night, General Secretary of the People's National Party Dr. Dayton Campbell took aim at the government's SPARK programme. 

 

Under the SPARK programme, the government will allocate $40 billion through Members of Parliament for road rehabilitation works across the island.

 

But Dr. Campbell argued that the funds should also have been allocated to Municipal Corporations. 

 

"The roads are bad all over this country, and if they have any interest in local government, they would have allocated money to councillors, so councillors can fix road too. Did you know that 70% of the roads within the community - seven out of every 10 roads within your community - are roads that belong to the parish council? Then how comes government a spend $40 billion pon road and don't give nuh allocation to councillors?" he questioned. 

  

Speaking at a party meeting in Lucea, Hanover on Thursday night, Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, Prime Minister Andrew Holness reiterated that the SPARK programme would include repair of roads under the purview of Municipal Corporations.

 

Mr. Holness said funds have been budgeted for road repairs under the SPARK programme, but the government deliberately delayed implementation of the initiative ahead of Monday's election to avoid the programme being politicised. 

 

He said all MPs should start having consultations with constituents by the first week of March to identify what roads are in need of repairs. 

 

The $40 billion Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network' (SPARK) Programme was first announced by Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Everald Warmington, in May last year during his contribution to the 2023/2024 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.