For more than a decade, the Government has held a firm commitment to propelling Portmore to parish status, led by former Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

This mandate has since been adopted by the Andrew Holness-led administration.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, tabled a bill to reform the Counties and Parish Act in the House of Parliament for Portmore to become the 15th parish of Jamaica.

This will not only be a historical achievement, but Portmore will also be a model parish for the rest of the island.

Member of Parliament for St Catherine East Central Alando Terrelonge, in a release, stated that for Portmore to transition, it must be completely autonomous. “This move ensures that the taxes paid by Portmore residents remain in Portmore and contribute to the development of roads, innovation sectors, technology hubs and other infrastructures.”

There are a myriad of other benefits that Portmore will provide for citizens.

With Portmore elevating to a parish, there will be improvement in crime-fighting as the parish could be divided into two police divisions, ensuring that the national crime rate decreases.

Parish status will serve to increase the number of health facilities in the area, resulting in residents having increased access to health care services, first responders, and ambulances.

This will limit the burden on other hospitals, particularly the Spanish Town Hospital.

Portmore’s geography makes it easy to track residents through national census. Thus, parish designation will potentially lead to Portmore accounting for every resident in the provision of social and other services.

The geography and terrain of Portmore further make it an ideal parish for the implementation of modern information and communication technologies.

Additionally, the areas’ geography and terrain make it possible to achieve universal broadband access in the short term and development of alternative energy sources.

The orderly development of Portmore and the foregoing advantages it possesses make it the ideal parish to live, work, raise families, and do business in.