Minister Shaw Hails Portfolio Entities for Contribution to Nation-Building

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Audley Shaw, has commended the work of staff and entities under the Ministry for their contribution to nation-building.

He was addressing the staging of the Ministry’s Jamaica 60 Expo on Friday (July 29) at the Police Officers Club, St. Andrew, under the theme ‘The Embers of Evolution… Fuel for the Future’.

The expo highlighted the achievements of the portfolio entities since Independence. Among the participants were the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), Jamaica Ultimate Tyre Company,

Jamaica Railway Corporation (JRC) and key players in the bauxite and mining industry.

Minister Shaw said “there is still much to be achieved” as the country looks towards the next 60 years.

“Our best years are still ahead of us and there is much to do, and we will do them better than we have done in the past 60 years,” the Minister said. He noted that there have been challenges but pointed out that “in every crisis there is an opportunity, in every problem there are solutions, and we have to find them and implement them”.

He highlighted steps being taken to improve offerings under his portfolio areas, including at the JUTC, where the fleet is being boosted. “JUTC is down to just under 200 buses. We have ordered 70 new buses, which will be delivered to the fleet before the end of the year,” the Minister informed.

Included in the new fleet are five electric vehicles, in keeping with the thrust to embrace new technologies in the transport sector.

In addition, 45 diesel units are being procured, 20 of which will run on compressed natural gas.

Minister Shaw also reiterated a commitment for the resurrection of railway service in Jamaica, which, he pointed out, is one of the oldest in the western hemisphere.

“We cannot allow such an important part of our transport system to lie down and waste away. It has been closed for 30 years,” he said. “We have investors who are interested to work with the

Government, and I am in active discussions with them now,” he indicated. On the mining side of the portfolio, Minister Shaw pointed to opportunities beyond bauxite mining.

“We have done bauxite mining, converting it into alumina in Jamaica for 70 years. We think we might have another 25 to 30 years of bauxite resources left in Jamaica; however, there are other resources that we have – rare earth minerals, gold, copper and other metals,” he said.

He noted that it is the intention of the Ministry “to double down on the exploration of those other rare earth metals and minerals that we have because there is a demand for them globally”.