Opposition Spokesperson on Trade, Industry and Global Logistics, Anthony Hylton, has dismissed the Government’s response to his concerns regarding the Morant Bay Urban Centre as a “smoke screen and deflection” that raises more questions than it answers.

While acknowledging the statement issued by the Morant Bay Urban Centre Limited (MBUCL), Hylton demanded clarity on several critical discrepancies, particularly surrounding the role of the Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ).

“When exactly did the Factories Corporation of Jamaica, a statutory body owned by the people of Jamaica, become a private entity?” Hylton questioned.

“The Government cannot have it both ways. If the FCJ is a partner in this development, then taxpayer funds are at risk, and the public has a right to know what level of funds, beyond the real estate indicated as its contribution to the venture, has been expended on the project by FCJ and exactly how those funds are being managed,” he added.

Hylton also took issue with the defence of the April 2025 ribbon-cutting ceremony, which MBUCL claimed was held after construction completion to instil pride in residents. “How can you cut a ribbon to declare a project open when the JPS power supply was not commissioned, and remains incomplete to this day? If the site was finished, why were tenants given a build-out period of three to five months before they could operate? The ceremony was political theatre, plain and simple,” Hylton said.

He further questioned the logic of having 15 government entities awaiting lease approval, asking why business tenants are being asked to wait on government bureaucracy before commencing their own operations.

“If this project is such a success, why are private sector tenants being told to hold their breath while government agencies slowly process paperwork?” Hylton asked. “And why should investors have confidence in public-private partnerships when the state cannot get its own house in order?”

The Opposition Spokesperson reiterated his call for full transparency regarding the FCJ’s financial commitment to the project and demanded a timeline for when all tenants can actually open for business.

“The people of St Thomas are not interested in who owns what company. They want to know when they can trade, when they can earn, and when this facility will finally deliver on its promise. The Government owes them straight answers, not more spin and deflection,” Hylton concluded.