By Devon Evans, Gleaner WriterST. ANN:
MINISTER OF Local Government Portia Simpson Miller wants to see more focus placed on rural development so as to provide greater economic opportunities for residents of rural communities, especially small farmers.
She pointed out that if rural areas were developed with better roads, better educational facilities and greater employment opportunities, many people from those areas would not have chosen to join the urban drift.
"I want to say that rural development is very important. Putting in the proper infrastructure and that will also prevent the urban drift," she added.
ROADS REHABILITATED
Mrs. Simpson Miller was speaking after officially opening three of eight parochial roads which were recently rehabilitated in St. Ann under the European Union Stabex programme.
Just under $92 million was spent on rehabilitating roads including Fort George, Douglas Castle and Essen Castle in South East St. Ann.
In North East St. Ann, the roads done were in Dunns Ville and New Ground; Free Hill in North West and Barnstaple and Mount Moriah in South West.
The minister accompanied by charge d'affaires of the delegation of the European Union Commission Ambjorn Berglund and Mayor Delroy Giscombe, made their first stop in Mt. Moriah where youth councillor for the Borobridge division, Romario Alexander Brown, cut the ribbon to declare the road open.
Citing the importance of rehabilitating parochial roads, Mrs. Simpson Miller said "There are areas that no farming activity was taking place and once we rehabilitate the road farmers immediately started to put their land into production."
She continued, "And so when we put focus and concentration on our community roads, our agricultural roads, we are opening up our communities as well as we are bringing economic benefits both to our communities and to our farmers by way of putting back idle lands into production".
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Mrs. Simpson Miller urged members of the St. Ann Parish Council to ensure that the roads are maintained regularly and not be allowed to deteriorate to the point where they have to be totally rehabilitated again.
Mr. Berglund said he was very pleased with the quality of the work done and assured the minister and the residents of St. Ann that the E.U. will continue to support rural development in Jamaica.
Mayor Delroy Giscombe thanked both the EU and the minister for assisting the people of St. Ann with better parochial road.
