JBM Undertaking Five Bankable Projects

Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited (JBM) is pursuing five “bankable projects” to ensure a sustainable income stream, says the entity’s Managing Director, Donna Howe.

The projects are spring water commercialisation, rehabilitation of an industrial park, development of a commercial park, the Orange Park housing development and a Port Development and Expansion Plan (PDEP).

“Each of these strategic projects are going to generate a revenue stream that will remain in the JBM for our sustainability,” Mrs. Howe said.

“We’re a government entity, so they will have an immediate impact on the financial returns back to the Government,” she pointed out.

She was addressing a Minerals Sector Investment Forum held on Tuesday (May 7) at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, where she provided details about the investments.

The spring water commercialisation project will involve the buildout of a production facility primarily for the export of bottled water, which is high in alkaline. The water will be extracted from a spring at the entity’s Ocho Rios, St. Ann, location.

“The spring water production factory is going through all the governance approvals – PIAB (Public Investment Appraisal Branch) for Cabinet approval, and the plant will be commissioned in 12 months, so that is by June 2025,” Mrs. Howe shared.

Turning to the industrial park project, Mrs. Howe shared that the procurement tender has been accepted and is currently going through the last stages of the process at the Public Procurement Commission.

“The commercial park is paired with the Orange Park housing development. Those two are in the planning initiation stages. They have gone through all of the infrastructure planning, done concept drawings and schematics and going through the urban planning. That is going to take 18 to 24 months at least,” she outlined.

As it relates to the PDEP, she indicated that this is still in the planning stages and will require wider stakeholder engagement.

Incorporated in 1975, JBM is a government-owned public body with a business enterprise mandate.

In addition to being the custodian of more than 4,000 acres of government properties in St. Ann, JBM monitors the operations of Discovery Bauxite Partners and holds 51 per cent equity on behalf of the Government of Jamaica in this partnership.