Construction of New Parliament to Start Early 2022/23

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says construction of the new Parliament building is expected to start early in financial year 2022/23.

He said that the detailed designs and drawings for the structure are complete and building approvals have been granted by the various authorities.

“The project is now going through the public investment process, after which we expect to enter the procurement phase and then after that is the construction phase,” he said.
Mr. Holness was making his contribution to the 2021/22 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday (March 18) under the theme ‘Recovery: Faster, Stronger, Better’.

Turning to other matters, he said a comprehensive review of the system of sessional committees of Parliament is to be undertaken in order to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

Mr. Holness informed that Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has been mandated to “immediately and expeditiously” undertake the review and make recommendations as to the resources that are needed to improve their effective functioning in the short-term”.

The Prime Minister, while acknowledging the constraints in supporting multiple committee meetings simultaneously, said that “the business of the nation cannot be stalled”.

As such, he said that committees that are empanelled under the standing orders must start working on their subject matter and review materials, even if they do not have hearings

“By the end of June, I am mandating that all sessional committees must have at least one meeting, whether in person or virtually, given the coronavirus (COVID-19) constraints,” he said.