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SECTORAL DEBATE

2013-2014

Presented by

HON. IAN HAYLES, MP MINISTER OF STATE

MINISTRY OF WATER, LAND, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

THE URGENCY IS NOW!!

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

GORDON HOUSE, KINGSTON

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TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGES

SALUTATIONS……………………………………………………………… 3 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………… 4

WATER…………………………………………………………………….. 5 UPGRADING AND REHAB. OF MINOR WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS…….......... 6 SMALL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS………………………………….……. 7 MAJOR RURAL WATER SUPPLY UPGRADING PROGRAMME…………….. 8 RAINWATER HARVESTING AND CATCHMENT TANK REHAB…………… 10 PUTTING THE “RAPID” BACK IN RAPID RESPONSE…………………... 12 LAND………………………………………………………………………. 15 DIVESTMENT OF GOVERNMENT LANDS…………………………………... 15 NATIONAL LAND POLICY (NLP)………………………………………… 16 LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS…………………………………………… 17 LAND SETTLEMENT SCHEMES: LAMP AND PROJECT LAND………... 18 LAND TITLING……………………………………………………… 20 REAL ESTATE…………………………………………………….. 21 WESTERN HANOVER CONSTITUENCY UPDATE…………………………… 22 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………. 24

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CONTRIBUTION BY THE HONOURABLE IAN HAYLES, MP

MINISTER OF STATE MINISTRY OF WATER, LAND, ENVIRONMENT AND

CLIMATE CHANGE 2013/2014 SECTORAL DEBATE

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013

THE URGENCY IS NOW!! 

 SALUTATIONS

MR SPEAKER, it’s been a year since I delivered my first contribution to the Sectoral Debates, and today I rise in my position as Minister of State in the Ministry of Land Water Environment and Climate Change to make my contribution to the 2013 debate. I am very fortunate. Among my colleagues, I am the only one who has been given the opportunity to serve the people of Jamaica under the tutelage and guidance of not one, but two of our nation's longest-serving Ministers, and for that opportunity, I must begin by giving thanks to the Most Honourable Prime Minister. Parliamentary procedure requires that I refer to her by her official title, but of the many she holds, the unofficial one, "Mama" is the one that I recognize her by first, and that is how much I hold her in esteem. I must also recognize with gratitude and respect, my Senior Ministers, who have collectively served this nation with distinction for over 75 years. Although I no longer work directly with him, I'd like to pay respect to the Honourable Roger Clarke, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

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Mr. Speaker, I can say with sincerity that in the course of my year in his Ministry, I learned many many useful lessons that will take me through my entire career. I also pay tribute to the Honourable Robert Pickersgill, who has warmly welcomed me into his Ministry as his Junior Minister. I also use this opportunity Mr. Speaker to acknowledge the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Alwin Hales and Director General, Mrs. Sharon Crooks for their guidance, the Senior Management Team and Staff of the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change. A special thanks also to my Executive Secretary for her daily support.

INTRODUCTION

Mr. Speaker, I specially acknowledge my lovely wife for her unwavering support. This past year, I witnessed a miracle: the birth of my twin baby girls. It made me take a different look at the world that they will be living in, and has strengthened my resolve to work harder faster and smarter for them, for the wonderful people I represent in Western Hanover, and for this beautiful land we all love, Jamaica. A Greek philosopher once said: "the unexamined life is one not worth living", and that I have found to be more than true. Mr. Speaker, when we take the time to stop and examine all aspects of our life, we can see patterns of behavior, and unless we become aware of these patterns, we condemn ourselves to unconscious repetition. Mr. Speaker, if any of us in this Honourable House, or in the streets and lanes or hills and valleys of this island are to truly examine the way that we as Jamaicans treat and manage the resources this beautiful island has been blessed with, we will see patterns of behavior that are seriously troubling. The Honourable Prime Minister, in her wisdom, sought to elevate the urgency of the situation we face with our natural resources, by adding two portfolios to the Ministry: Environment and Climate Change.

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Together, the full complement of issues we deal with in our Ministry goes to the very heart of life in Jamaica: this is, after all, the land of wood and water. But if we continue to repeat the errors and bad habits of the past, we will be condemned to repeating them. If we continue to abuse our land and water resources, we can forget about wood and water. Jamaica will become the land of concrete and zinc fence. The gravity of the situation is severe, but it is our resolve to implement solutions for the immediate and urgent water and land issues, and also for those we anticipate in the future. In other words, we know we have work to do today, even as we make preparations for tomorrow. In that context, Mr. Speaker, I would like to give an account of plans and progress in the Land and Water portfolios, as my senior Minister will, in due course, deliver his presentation.

WATER

Mr. Speaker, among the most troubling issues facing ordinary Jamaicans today is the scarcity of water. Particularly in the rural areas, for many Jamaicans, access to water is a daily struggle. I think of our workers, who have to schedule their meager free time around "ketching up a drum". I think of our children, who often have to wake very early in the morning to draw and carry gallons of water, with their little bodies straining under the weight. I think of our farmers, who have long struggled, especially this year, through the harshest drought in memory for many.

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And so, Mr. Speaker, I begin with the critical water sector and more importantly, water supply for our rural communities. Mr. Speaker, our agency, Rural Water Supply Limited, continues to play a critical role in the development of systems to serve rural communities. Rural Jamaica, we know, is home to the true Spirit of this country. Cognizant of that, this Administration has taken a policy decision to give focus and priority to Rural Jamaica, and when it comes to water, we intend to be less reactive and more proactive. We are working for our people today, and at the same time planning for tomorrow.

UPGRADING AND REHABILITATION OF MINOR WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS

Mr. Speaker, last yearin his Sectoral Presentation, my Senior Minister listed some of the rural systems scheduled to be worked on during the 2012/2013 Financial Year. Mr. Speaker, of those systems, the majority has been completed. They include the:

Lottery Water Supply System, in East Central St. James The Bamboo Ridge Pipeline Extension, in South West St. Catherine The Geneva / Ghetto Water Supply System, in Western

Westmoreland Farmers Heights Water Supply System, in North East St. Ann The Broadgate Water Supply System, in South East St. Mary The East Portland Tanks and Bases, in East Portland The Quaminus to Lionel Town Water Supply System, in South East

Clarendon The Cascade Water Supply System, in South West St. Ann John’s Groin Water Supply System, in North West St. Catherine The Wharf Lane Water Supply System, in West Portland The Copperwood / Richmond Hill System in South St. James

Mr. Speaker, a total of J$74.46M has been spent in this Financial Year under the Capital ‘A’ Budget to complete these systems, and I am pleased

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to announce that due to the completion of these projects, some 28,462 residents of rural Jamaica will now have a reliable source of water. This shows Mr. Speaker, that we are working today while laying the groundwork for tomorrow. SMALL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS

Mr. Speaker, the Rural Water Supply Limited will be carrying out upgrading and remedial works on even moresmall water supply systems during the coming year. Work will be carried out on water supply systems in:

Top Hill, in North West St. Catherine

Windsor Heights, in Western St. Catherine,

Troja/Lassie Spring, in North West St. Catherine

Grant Hill, in West Rural St. Andrew

Kelly Spring, in West Rural St. Andrew

Top Leinster/Devon Pen, in South Eastern St. Mary

Seaton, in Central St. Mary

Haining, in Western Portland. Work will also proceed on:

Minor Water Supply Systems in Eastern and Western St. Thomas Minor Water Supply Systems in Western Hanover and Smithville and Union in North West Clarendon

These systems will be refurbished at a cost of J$60.3M and will be completed within this financial year. They will benefit a total of approximately 26,000 residents. Also in the works, Mr. Speaker is a two kilometer pipeline that will bring much needed relief to the people of Porus, Manchester, and I personally commit to ensuring that this is completed by the end of this year.

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Mr. Speaker, we are very serious. When it comes to providing our residents with potable water, as you can see, we are working to solve the water problems today and laying the groundwork for tomorrow. MAJOR RURAL WATER SUPPLY UPGRADING PROGRAMME

Mr. Speaker, last year my Senior Minister announced 26 projects under the Major Rural Water Supply Upgrading Programme. Today I can report that contracts have been awarded for four of those projects, namely:

Cascade / Claremont / Jericho in Eastern Hanover where work has already begun;

Nonpariel / Orange Hill in Western Westmoreland

Mason River in Northern Clarendon and

Burnt Savannah/Knoxwood in South West St. Elizabeth. Designs for the remainder of the projects are on-going, in order to secure funding and fiscal space for early implementation. All works on each of these projects are expected to be completed within 18 months of the contract being issued, and when completed will benefit approximately 57,000 residents. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to make the point here that, while it is our intention - indeed our priority - to get these systems upgraded, we have been hindered significantly by the time it takes to wade through the procurement process. The process, from procurement to contract takes a minimum of a year. Mr. Speaker, I use this opportunity now to call on all my colleagues, in Government leadership as well as within the civil service...we know many of these processes are necessary, but let us work as seamlessly and efficiently as possible to move procurement matters through. There is a direct impact on people's lives when these projects are held up, and we have work to get on with!

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Even with delays, we are resolved to bring water to the people. This year, we will continue design and procurement work on six (6) additional projects and our aim is for work to begin before December 2013 on:

Richard Hall / Mount Dawson Water Supply System, in St. Catherine North Central

Clydesdale / Content Gap / Guava Ridge Water Supply System, in St. Andrew, East Rural

Garlands / Maroon Town Water Supply System, in Southern St. James

Prospect / Grange / Rock Spring Water Supply System, in Hanover Western

Canaan / Adelphi / Latium Water Supply System, in St. James East Central

Mason Hall Water Supply in Western St. Mary These projects are in the second tranche and will benefit approximately 36,550 residents at a cost of approximately J$1.4B. Again, Mr. Speaker, you can see that as we work for our people today, we are constantly preparing for tomorrow.

RAINWATER HARVESTING AND CATCHMENT TANK REHABILITATION PROGRAMME

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, if we don't examine what we are doing from time to time, we are bound to repeat mistakes and poor decisions. In old time Jamaica, almost every house and farm had some catchment facility for harvesting rainwater, which in many ways is the most sustainable way to collect that precious resource. At some point, we forgot the value of

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those systems, and although many still exist and are intact, the vast majority needs some form of urgent maintenance or rehabilitation. Last year, our Ministry, in partnership with Ministry of Local Government, did an inventory of all catchment tanks island-wide. There are 282 catchment tanks located all over Jamaica, but mostly in the parishes of St. Ann, Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Hanover. Preliminary estimates to have all of these tanks repaired and made functional are approximately J$250M. Going forward, it is the intention of the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change to have most of these tanks repaired and handed over to the Ministry of Local Government before the next dry season. Rural Water Supply Limited has been mandated to carry out the contracting works by engaging capable local artisans in conjunction with the various Parish Councils to carry out these refurbishing works. Rural Water Supply has also been mandated to prepare a database of all catchment tanks, constituency by constituency, their size, conditions, the amount of people they serve and how these will be impacted during the dry season due to inadequate rainfall.

During the 2012-2013 financial year catchment tank rehabilitation works were completed at:

Camrose, East Central St. James

Kensington, South St. James

Brown Hill, South St. James

Bushy Park, North West Manchester

Top Hill, North West, St. Catherine

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Seafield, North East St. Catherine

Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to announce that works have already begun on catchment tanks in the following areas:

Epworth and Friendship in South Eastern St. Ann

York Castle and Farm in North Western St. Ann

Inverness, Aboukir and Merry Mountain in South Western St. Ann

Good Hope, Evans Corner, Bagbale Mountain and Quick Step in North West St. Elizabeth

All these are projected to be completed by August 2013. It should also be noted Mr. Speaker, that there are approximately sixty-five (65) wayside tanks located in areas without piped water. Those tanks will also be repaired and serviced by the Rapid Response Unit. This again, Mr. Speaker, is us doing work for our people today, and preparing for our people tomorrow.

PUTTING THE “RAPID” BACK IN RAPID RESPONSE

Mr. Speaker, when this Administration re-assumed the reins of Government, Rapid Response was on its death bed...one could even say in the grave!

Mr. Speaker, the previous Administration took a decision to shut down the Rapid Response Unit. Now while this Administration is not against divestment of Government assets in principle, the truth is that the process of winding up Rapid was done in a sloppy manner.

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The first approach was to divest the entity to the employees. When that approach failed, the previous Administration decided to hand over some of our best trucks to other State Agencies.

They handed the National Irrigation Commission (NIC) four trucks, they gave Local Government two trucks which are now being used to transport garbage, and gave the St. Elizabeth Parish Council one truck, shelling the entity, while leaving the employees and customers in limbo. In fact, of the 100 trucks belonging to the Rapid Response Unit, a mere 26 are currently operational.

Mr. Speaker, we believe that at best, this was poor forward planning, because the organization that remained was not even capable of executing the mission statement of the Rapid Response Unit.

The failure of the process was brought into sharp focus earlier this year, when the country - and farmers especially - experienced one of the worst droughts in memory. Now, even though we've had some rain recently, for some of those farmers, it’s not over yet. That experience reminded us why we had a Rapid Response Unit in the first place!

For my colleagues across the aisle, let me remind you: the Rapid Response Unit was created as an emergency facility, to provide water on a temporary basis to communities that have been struck with some form of natural disaster, and ask any farmer in St. Elizabeth, drought qualifies as a natural disaster!

I will admit, that in the past, the Unit was not always used for its stated purpose, and since I've been in this Ministry, I have heard the question posed to my Senior Minister, and myself..."what will you do differently when it comes to the Rapid Response Unit?”

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Mr. Speaker, let me now elaborate on some of the far-reaching, game-changing policies, and strategic shifts that we intend to put in place this year.

First and foremost, I will be leading a team to develop an effective and strategic Business Plan for the Unit. A Business Plan is necessary because in any entity, the management must be accountable to the investors and shareholders, who in this case, are the people of Jamaica. Too long this Unit has operated "willy-nilly" and we need to focus, and redirect the activities so that the Unit serves Jamaica, rather than being a burden to the taxpayers.

Next, we intend to take a close look at our costs. One area we can cut costs immediately, is in fuel for water delivery. By relocating Loading Bays closer to our drought-stricken customers, we will be able to save some 30-40 percent on what we currently pay for fuel in the course of a year. Mr. Speaker, these reductions are not figures that I am pulling randomly from the air. I have already proven that these reductions are possible. (Example Negril to Grange Hill; Orange Bay to Negril)

Mr. Speaker, today, the NWC spends over J$150 million every year with private haulage contractors to truck water to people experiencing drought and other emergencies. That is an enormous burden when you consider we have a Unit equipped and staffed to conduct those activities.

To put the teeth back into the Unit, Rapid Response will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the NWC, for Rapid Response to be the first in line to truck water for the NWC. In addition, for the Ministry's part, we will reduce the bureaucratic burden by directly contracting Rapid Response to deliver water to the Parish Councils and drought prone areas. This shift in policy will not put private contractors out of business, but will ensure that our people receive the commodity at the lowest cost possible.

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On the matter of assets and equipment, Mr. Speaker, we are repairing two trucks per month, and discussions are continuing on the procurement of new trucks. But as we build back the Unit, we have an innovative, game-changing plan that will make winners of all stakeholders.

Mr. Speaker, this year, as we rehabilitate the trucks that are currently parked, the plan is to sub-lease one Rapid Response Truck per Member of Parliament for a small cost of J$1Million. MPs can pay this lease amount out of their CDF allocation, and the Rapid Response Unit will maintain and operate all the trucks. This will guarantee that the first 100 loads of water are free. Let me repeat: FREE.

Mr. Speaker, Rapid Response, just like the Fire Brigade, the Police and the JDF is an essential and necessary service. We have shortchanged the people of Jamaica by poor management over the years, but those days are over. I intend to re-build the Unit and to have it do what it was originally intended, which is to bring water to the people who need it most.

Still on issues relating to drought Mr. Speaker, my Senior Minister has taken the initiative, in re-establishing the National Drought Management Committee. The National Drought Management Plan was also reviewed as a means for Jamaica becoming more resilient to drought conditions.

LAND

Mr. Speaker, I now turn my attention to the Land portfolio. Mr. Speaker, the Peoples National Party, my Party, from its existence, has proudly cast its lot with the people of Jamaica when it comes to land distribution for the landless citizens.

Our Manifesto states that we will:

“...continue to encourage more and more land owners to secure titles for their properties in order to stimulate productive use”.

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We continue this tradition of creating an ‘ownership society’ that is equitable, and broad-based. As our National Hero, the Rt. Excellent Norman Washington Manley said, “Land is the only source of the material life of the people. It provides food and shelter. It furnishes work and wealth. It is the basis of all production, of all development, of all security, of all growth. It is, in very truth, the root of our being”.

Mr. Speaker, it is the same then as it is now, the opportunity for land ownership is a fundamental right of every Jamaican, those of us here today, and those who come tomorrow. We intend to honor our commitment to the people of this country by implementing the necessary legislative and regulatory framework to govern land ownership and management.

DIVESTMENT OF GOVERNMENT LANDS

Mr. Speaker, as we seek to broaden the land ownership base, we have continued with the divestment of Government lands through the Land Divestment Advisory Committee. We have taken every care to ensure that divestment is done in a fair and transparent manner, and that we continue to promote prudent and sustainable land utilization that will lead to social and economic development.

During the 2012/13 fiscal year, the Committee processed 71 applications for divestment. Of that total, 41 applications were recommended for divestment and 2 applications were not recommended.

The remainders were deferred for further information or clarification. The potential revenue to be earned from the sale and lease of the 38 approved applications is valued at approximately J$64 million.

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the process is still slow. To help bring clarity to the process, one of the things we've been working on is a policy and procedure manual which sets out best practices guiding the lease and sale of Government-owned lands. The aim is to encourage effective and sustainable use and management of our scarce land resources.

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Mr. Speaker, that manual has been prepared, and as soon as it is approved by Cabinet, we will be formally launching the Policy and Procedure Manual for Divestment of Government-owned lands.

NATIONAL LAND POLICY (NLP)

Mr. Speaker, when we speak about land and we examine our actions, as individuals, and as a nation, we can see that we have not been kind to our beautiful Jamaica. The current state of land degradation in Jamaica has serious implications for biodiversity, agricultural production, food security, and income generating opportunities in rural Jamaica. When combined with other environmental maladies such as deforestation, climate change and its associated effects, inadequate rehabilitation of mined out lands and degraded watersheds, the situation is even more critical.

Mr. Speaker, as an Administration, we want to always be looking ahead, planning for the future even as we sustainably manage what we have today. We are continuing with the review of the 1996 National Land Policy and we are on track to have a first draft of the revised Policy ready for wider stakeholder consultation by October this year.

Mr. Speaker, we have also developed a Sustainable Land Management Policy as part of the land policy, but I intend to preach the Gospel of sustainability and to lead the drive to infuse those principles in all policies across Government as we strive for sustainability in all areas. We must. If not, we will continue to destroy our island.

LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS

In addition to policy initiatives, the Ministry has a number of key pieces of legislation that we intend to get through Parliament this year, namely:

The Crown Property Vesting Act, which seeks to enshrine the Land Divestment Advisory Committee (LDAC) in statute and outline the composition of the Committee, its appointment and other related matters;

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The Registration (Strata) Titles Act, which we intend to bring to Parliament very soon to table two amendments. Those amendments will remove some of the challenges the members of the Executive Committee have been experiencing when exercising the Power of Sale Certificates.

The final piece of legislation is the Land Surveyors Act. We promised to implement new regulations under the Land Surveyor’s Act to require that all survey plans be tied into the national grid. This is necessary if we are to use those plans to build the national cadastral map. We need this map to make land titling cheaper and more efficient. The draft regulations are now being finalized by the Office of the Parliamentary Council and we are moving towards having it promulgated this year.

Mr. Speaker, on the topic of land surveying, I would like to advise this Honourable House that Jamaica has received a technological boost with the recent acquisition of a Virtual Reference Station (VRS).

gFIX.net, as the system is called, is a configuration of thirteen (13) high precision global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) continuously operating reference stations (CORS), strategically positioned across Jamaica, and is managed and maintained by the National Land Agency.

gFIX.net is positioned to revolutionize the surveying and construction sectors, enabling increased accuracies with enhanced performance and reliability, in addition to improved productivity for cadastral surveying. Surveying and Plan Checking turnaround times should be drastically reduced upon the implementation of the system.

Mr. Speaker, creating the necessary legislative framework and incorporating these types of technology shows that we are working, laying the groundwork to regulate our land use today, as well as for tomorrow.

LAND SETTLEMENT SCHEMES: LAMP AND PROJECT LAND

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Mr. Speaker, a brief update on land settlement and related programmes. There are 344 land settlement schemes island-wide comprising approximately 50,000 lots. Currently, 17,000 lots are yet to be titled and are at various stages of the process, that is, they either need to be surveyed and or need subdivision approval from the parish councils.

The Commissioner of Lands has 8,044 Certificates of Title in Office in the name of the Commissioner of Lands, and 975 Certificates in the names of the purchasers. It has taken the Government an inordinately long time to deliver these titles to the purchasers and hence some of these owners have died and/or cannot be located.

The Probate Unit of the National Land Agency (NLA) was established to deal with these estate matters in Land Settlement Schemes and they have been assisting the beneficiaries of the deceased land settlement allottees to acquire ownership of these lands.

The NLA has for the year brought under the operation of the Registration of Titles Act 1,022 new Certificates of Title; issued 6,292 new titles; registered 45,928 dealings on existing Titles and checked 17,562 survey plans.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the Land Administration and Management Programme (LAMP) Parliament will recall that LAMP has now been extended to all the parishes, with the exception of Kingston and St. Andrew and the municipality of Portmore.

LAMP continues with its programme of regularization and clarification of parcels so that the number of unregistered parcels can be progressively reduced and existing titles updated with information related to the current land owner. The most recent figures reveal that a total of 19,193 files have been opened; 3,865 new Titles have been produced; 736 estates administered, and 2,009 existing Certificates of Title updated.

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Mr. Speaker, you will recall that LAMP II was started on a different model: that is a public/private partnership. LAMP II has been extended for a further period of 10 years and the number of parishes expanded to eight (8). The additional parishes are: Clarendon, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, St. Ann, Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny and St. James.

LAMP II had cadastrally surveyed 2,654 parcels during the first phase and placed 3,749 parcels in the digital Cadastral Map database for St. Elizabeth. There were 5,178 files opened, and 1,120 applications for titles have been made. Three Hundred and Eighty-eight (388) titles have been completed and another 645 have been provisionally approved.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, LAMP is jointly funded by the Government and Grant Funds. Since its official launch in March, the LAMP / Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Grant Aid Cadastral Mapping and Titling Project targeted 1,000 needy households in land settlements to be surveyed and titled in the parishes of St. Mary, Portland and St. Ann. Surveying activities are now fully underway, and of the 1,000 lots targeted to be surveyed, over 500 have been completed to date. The Grant, which is valued at US$2.1 Million, will pay for survey and title costs for 1,000 needy households in the select project areas in these parishes.

Mr. Speaker, LAMP also has secured a Grant of Eighteen Million Jamaican Dollars (J$18M) from the Petro Caribe Fund. This will go towards subsidizing the cost of another 1,000 land Titles. The Grant will help beneficiaries who have been unable to pay for their Titles for years now, to complete their payments and so receive their land Titles.

Mr. Speaker this Government is very serious about land ownership and we are doing what is necessary to have our people become landowners.

Mr. Speaker, a brief update on Project LAND. At the inception of Project LAND in September 2011, it was intended to cover the 5 pilot parishes of St. Elizabeth, St. Catherine, Clarendon, St. Mary and Manchester. One Thousand (1,000) Certificates of Compliance were targeted and activities

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limited mainly to two parishes, Manchester and St. Elizabeth. To date, nearly 1,000 applications have been received by the People's Cooperative Banks (PC Banks) and 128 Compliance Certificates have been issued. The remaining applications are at various stages of processing.

A review of the programme is in progress and based on the outcome, measures will be put in place to address the challenges and to expand the project island wide.

LAND TITLING

Mr. Speaker, the efforts of these programmes over the years are bearing fruit. During the last fiscal year, LAMP continued its titling ceremonies in Linstead, St. Catherine; Yallahs, St. Thomas; Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth and Port Maria, St. Mary where a total of 189 new certificates of title were handed out to beneficiaries.

LAMP also provided land registration services to the IDB National Irrigation programme as the land must be titled before the irrigation works to farmers in the parishes of St. Thomas, St. Elizabeth and Manchester can be completed. Twenty titles were issued, but we are aiming to issue 200 this coming year.

LAMP has also partnered with the Rose Town Foundation for the Built Environment to title over 100 parcels in Rose Town. Surveys are currently being conducted by the foundation and the parcels of land will be titled under LAMP.

The programme has also established Adjudication Committees to address property rights in respect of lands at Narine Lands, St. Catherine and Rose Town, Kingston.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that these are all initiatives to regularize people outside of the system and put more people on a path to sustainable land ownership. As State Minister I can tell you how proud I am when I hear

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the numbers of titles that are given out, but as a Jamaican, nothing makes me more proud than seeing ordinary Jamaican people receiving their titles for the first time.

Some of these people have worked the land for years, some have dutifully paid their taxes, but all of them feel a greater sense of belonging to this country when they can say with dignity: "This is MY land".

As the party of the people, it is very important that we continue these programmes but also that we get the message to all Jamaicans: you may not have lots of money, your situation may not be ideal, but the Government is willing to work with you. If you are on a land settlement, please visit one of our offices to find out how you can make the transition and become a titled landowner. It’s not impossible. I call on all landless Jamaicans, please do it for yourself and your children today, as well as for your descendants tomorrow.

REAL ESTATE

Mr. Speaker, in creating the “ownership society” that I continually make reference to, we also have to ensure that all the players in the Real Estate Market are protected. As such, the Real Estate (Dealers & Developers) Act is being revised and should be tabled soon thereafter. The Real Estate Board is leading the charge in this regard.

The Act is being revised to tighten up on the accountability of real estate professionals, especially developers, as the Real Estate Board has been called upon to expend huge resources defending purchasers under prepayment contract where developers have failed to honour contractual obligations. The Board is also increasing the penalty fees for breaches of the Act.

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Legislation will have to be drafted to ensure that the Board is able to carry out new anti-money laundering duties that it was instructed would be assigned.

The Real Estate Board will also be regulating timeshare properties in Jamaica and licensing the marketers of timeshares. In the true sense of Joined-Up Government, my colleague Minister in the Tourism Ministry is currently piloting legislation to regulate timeshares in Jamaica and the Board is slated to become the Registrar of Timeshare. Although timeshares are generally thought of as a tourism product, it is real estate based, hence the interest of both bodies in the matter. The Board will also have to license the agents who sell timeshares. The legislation to support these new responsibilities will be tabled shortly.

WESTERN HANOVER CONSTITUENCY UPDATE

Mr. Speaker, I am here because of the people of Western Hanover. The work that I do would not be possible were it not for the service of my four Councillors, Her Worship the Mayor of Lucea, CouncillorShernette Haughton, as well as Councillors Anthony Walker, Neville Clare and Lester Crooks, in addition to my office staff, and my constituency manager, Mr. Sheridan Samuels.

Mr. Speaker, I know that every MP gets up to speak and tells Jamaica that he or she has the best constituency with the best people. Respectfully, they are all wrong. In Western Hanover, truly the most beautiful corner of this island, we have some ordinary people doing some extra-ordinary tasks.

Today, I would like to honour and recognize them individually, but time does not permit. I cannot, however, end my presentation without mentioning the work of two beautiful, dedicated ladies: Ms. Barbara Rubie and Ms. Monique Hendricks. Mr. Speaker, the old and indigent in my Constituency will tell you that if it’s not for these two ladies at times they don’t get to take a bath or have a hot meal. This is indeed the true spirit of

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what we should be doing as a people being our Brothers and Sisters Keeper.

Mr. Speaker, the challenges we face as a Constituency are no different from most, but please indulge me as I highlight a few of those challenges and successes while I have the attention of my colleague Ministers.

After making representation to the Honourable Ministers Omar Davies and Richard Azan under the JEEP Programme, I am happy to report that the rehabilitation works on East Avenue and West Avenue are almost completed; while Riverhead Road and Esher Road have been completed. We are experiencing some problems with getting the Glasgow to Lucea road completed, and I appeal to the National Works Agency to address those matters urgently.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Hanover pay their taxes, in fact we can boast that we have a compliance rate of over 70 percent. Yet, over the past couple of years, the road network in my Constituency has been allowed to deteriorate to a state where I can categorically declare that it is one of the worst in the entire country. In particular, the roads from

Kew to Mount Piece via Askenish

Chambers Pen to McLaren Gate via Middlesex

Riley to Harvey River via Askenish

Riverside Road

Ginger Hill

St. Simon to Baulk via Dry Hill and Richmond

Cousins Cove to Dias

Green Island to Moreland Hill

Prospect to Kingsvale

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are in a horrendous state. Mr. Speaker, I’m appealing to the Minister of Transport for help on behalf of the people I represent.

In regard to the water situation, I must congratulate my Senior Minister for his kind assistance of drought relief aid for Western Hanover. Under his leadership I can say this to my constituents: help is on the way. We will solve the water problems of Western Hanover.

I must thank the Minister of Health for assisting in the fencing of Noel Holmes Hospital due to start next week. While I commend the Minister for being responsive to our appeals, I must appeal again. We need another hospital in Hanover, specifically one which deals with emergency and trauma cases. This is urgent because Negril is a major tourism destination, and with the expansion of the Grand Palladium Hotel, we expect the existing facility to become further burdened. At the moment, the Negril to Lucea thoroughfare is a virtual hotspot for high-speed motor vehicle crashes, and such critical cases must be transferred to Cornwall Regional, a 45 minute drive!

Mr. Minister, as you take care of us today, I appeal for you to begin planning for our tomorrow.

CONCLUSION

Mr. Speaker, with all the nay-saying and negativity I come across daily as a politician, I am still confident about Jamaica's future. I am confident

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because I know that we have the strength the fortitude and the perseverance to confront and conquer any challenge we are faced with.

But success only comes with hard work. I am prepared to put in the hard work. Western Hanover is prepared for hard work. The Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change is prepared for hard work. We will work together to create the Jamaica we want, the Jamaica our children deserve, not just for those of us who are here today, but also for those who will come tomorrow.

Let’s devote ourselves to Vision 2030 by making "Jamaica, the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business”.

I thank you.