By Denise Clarke, Staff Reporter
Dr Horace Chang
WESTERN BUREAU:
Dr. Horace Chang, the Jamaica Labour Party's candidate for St. James North Western, is brimming with confidence going into the general election.
A two-time Member of Parliament for Hanover Western from 1980-1989, Dr. Chang feels he can convince the majority of the 30,500 registered voters in St. James North Western that he is the right man for the job. "I think Montego Bay is a town that has lacked effective representation over the years. Decision-makers in the Cor-porate Area (of Kingston and St. Andrew) don't have a good sense of what Montego Bay or in fact larger areas of rural Jamaica is like. You need someone in Parliament who understands, having grown up here, and feels strongly enough about the issues to push aggressively and bring some of the national resources back into Montego Bay to provide the kind of services we need," Dr. Chang argues.
His is a challenging constituency. There are 17 squatter communities there, and crime and unemployment are major problems. Rose Heights, Railway Lane, Flankers, Canterbury, Glendevon and Greater Montego Bay are the major communities in the constituency.
Tourism is the No. 1 source of employment, followed by the information technology companies in the Freezone area in neighbouring St. James West Central. A large number of constituents are employed in the downtown commercial district and in government agencies.
Dr. Chang has identified several issues in the constituency that he feels should be addressed urgently. Crime and unemployment are major concerns for him, and the regularisation of informal settlements is at the top of his to-do list if he is elected.
"We need proper planning and development of our suburban areas and we'll have to begin by resolving the informal settlements issue, by bringing about the necessary development to make them a part of the formal economy that means infrastructure, water, electricity and titling. We need to look at our inner-city areas, not just to rebuild existing dilapidated areas with concrete structures, but to look at developing the inner-city area to ensure that we don't depopulate the downtown area totally, but to retain residential areas along with the commercial areas," he explained. The crime problem, he maintained, stemmed from the reduction in employment opportunities as a result of the closing down of several garment factories in the Montego Bay Freezone. The stress of unemployment and the lack of development especially in the informal settlements are likely to breed indiscipline which lead to criminal activity, Dr. Chang said.
His solution: to develop one or two suburban areas outside of the town centre, where jobs would be provided through commercial and industrial activities. Dr. Chang has already identified the Sun Valley Road area as a prime location for such development. The development could feature government services, shops, supermarkets, and other commercial activities, he said.
Dr. Chang is of the view that Sangster International Airport, one of the major assets in St. James North West, can be developed to maximise the benefits to the constituency. Greater benefits can also be derived from the cruise-shipping pier in neighbouring St. James West Central.
"The international ports and our natural assets make us well poised to become the entertainment resort capital of the Caribbean if we plan correctly.
"The pier can become a hub for cruise shipping at certain times of the year and we need to combine that with setting up the appropriate shopping facilities," he proposed.
At 50, Dr. Chang is ready once again to carry the baton for the JLP. Twenty-five years of public service and his past experience in government, combined with a thorough knowledge of the constituency and its problems has prepared him for the task ahead, he said. "One of the problems I think Jamaica has is that many professionals go into politics not understanding the government process and they make the same mistakes their predecessors made, and it's part of my reason for staying. I learned how the system operates and how the government policy is designed and implemented. I think I have a better chance of ensuring that my representation for Montego Bay is carried out within the timeframe that the electoral system allows it," Dr. Chang said.
