Hefty repair bill
Published:Monday | October 4, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Laura Redpath, Senior Gleaner Writer
The Jamaican Government will have to fork out $12 billion for repairs to infrastructure as a result of the passage of tropical depression 16, which was later upgraded to Tropical Storm Nicole.
Minister of Transport and Works Mike Henry told The Gleaner yesterday that the estimated cost of repairs was expected to increase. Officials within the ministry met yesterday afternoon to finalise a report that is to be submitted to Cabinet today.
"We're really at about $7 to $8 billion but there are still a number of parishes we have issues getting in," Henry said.
Although the ministry and the National Works Agency have assessed most of the parishes, they are awaiting reports from Westmoreland, Hanover, St Ann and St Mary.
"We're waiting on the final figures for restoration of asphalted roads, blocked drains, repairing kerbs and channels, culverts and reconstructing walls. This is where we're really going to concentrate first," Henry said.
The transport minister also revealed that the Sandy Gully is facing $5 billion worth of damage and the cost to clear roads stands at $1 billion.
According to a release from the ministry, Henry acknowledged the challenge that the Government faces in streamlining the country's rehabilitation and projects that were in place before Tropical Storm Nicole.
However, Henry also said the Jamaica Development Infrastruc-ture Programme, slated to start this month, is still on schedule.
"The Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme will continue in its totality. Where there is further damage, it will be costed in and added to the project," he said, noting that additional funding will be sought where necessary.
In addition, Henry expressed concern about the condition of the Kingston Harbour, the seventh largest natural harbour in the world.
"Kingston Harbour is threatened with all the debris that's going into it. In fact, it will cost well over a $1 million just to pick up old furniture, lumber materials that are threatening the shipping that takes place," Henry said.
Jamaica's catastrophe risk profile by the Inter-American Develop-ment Bank, released in August, placed a US$19-billion value on the country's infrastructure exposed to damage from natural disasters.
The assets include communication, residential and commercial buildings, industrial plants, public utilities and transportation.
Jamaica Urban Transit Company spokesman, Reginald Allen, though unable to give a cost, noted that the government-run organisation was facing millions of dollars in losses due to the tropical depression.
"There has been a significant loss of revenue: millions of dollars daily for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday," Allen said.
However, Allen optimistically noted the company was hoping transportation would be back to normal today.