Opposition spokesperson calls for outstanding funds for islandwide drain cleaning ahead of TS Melissa
/ Our Today
administrator
The Opposition Spokesperson on Local Government Natalie Neita Garvey is calling on Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie to urgently provide all Municipal Corporations with their September allocations from the Parochial Revenue Fund (PRF) to allow a comprehensive drain cleaning islandwide to avoid flooding from Tropical Storm Melissa.
In a statement today, Neita said the minister himself had designated the September allocation for drain cleaning, yet no funds had been provided up to this point. She accused the minister of providing funds in a haphazard manner and restricting the use of special funds, thereby preventing scheduled infrastructure maintenance, even as Melissa poses a threat to Jamaica.
The Opposition Spokesperson said she had consulted all the Municipalities led by PNP Mayors and the Minority Leaders in the others and all complained about constant lateness in the Ministry transferring allocations. She said only one parish, Clarendon, had been able to use its own resources to clean drains last month. “This situation poses a high risk of flooding as the last exercise was done in June, four months ago,” she said.
Neita Garvey said the lack of money from Central Government to fully fund the new staff structure and salaries was also causing a severe cash crunch in all municipalities. This, she said, had impaired efforts to adequately prepare parishes to mitigate against disasters, especially flooding. She said this required urgent attention.
The Opposition Spokesperson said that despite the pronouncements at the Central Government level, if basic activities such as drain cleaning are not done, the people will face dire consequences. Neita Garvey concluded by warning Minister McKenzie that he is presiding over an underfunded Local Government system where the Municipal Councils are cash-strapped. She said unless urgent decisions are taken, the Local Government system is heading back to the crisis of the 1980s.
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