$471 Million Allocated for Road Services Improvement Programme

The Ministry of Housing, Transport, Water and Works has received $471.5 million towards its National Road Services Improvement Programme and Institutional Strengthening project, in the 2007/2008 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.
The programme, which is funded jointly by the Government of Jamaica and the Inter-American Development Bank, among other things, seeks to promote the creation of a self-sustainable system for the provision of a safe and reliable national road network; support the Ministry in the implementation of a new framework for administering the main road network, and strengthen the core activities of planning, programming and budgeting for the road sector.
Anticipated targets for the new financial year include the engagement of consultants for phase one infrastructure and institutional strengthening; procurement of goods and services; contracting civil works; and enhancement of the Road Maintenance and Management System.
Achievements to date are: 100 per cent completion of rehabilitation works to road sections which were damaged by Hurricane Ivan, the implementation of the Project Implementation Unit, and meeting the pre-conditions of all loan agreements.
The long-term targets of the programme are the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the National Works Agency; the development of an improved road maintenance system, and effecting feasibility, environmental and final design studies for future road rehabilitation.