PM Honoured With Key to Portmore

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, was on Friday, June 28, presented with the key to the Municipality of Portmore, in a civic ceremony that was the highlight of a week long celebration of the municipality’s 10-year anniversaryw.

At the function held at the Power of Faith Ministries, the Prime Minister was honoured for her invaluable contribution and service in assisting Portmore to achieve municipal status while serving as Minister of Local Government and Community Development in 2003.

Expressing gratitude and delight at the special recognition, the Prime Minister said she was honoured to be marking the special milestone with the residents.

She noted that as Portmore celebrates its 10th anniversary as a municipality, it can look towards an even brighter future, as the area stands to benefit from some major investment projects being undertaken by the Government.

She cited for example, the planned Caymanas Logistics Centre, located close to the municipality, which is part of the Logistics Hub Initiative.

The Prime Minister encouraged the Municipal Council to plan for and position the municipality to take advantage of opportunities that will be created by the hub.

“I encourage you to begin preparing your young people to acquire the necessary skills training and certification to take up the jobs when they are created from the investments in the hub,” she said.

She noted too that the municipality can celebrate the fact that at Naggo Head, some 750,000 square feet of factory space will be developed into an ultra-modern technology park with the potential to employ some 13,000 persons.

She informed that already, one investor, in anticipation of the opening of the technology park, has booked the first 100,000 square feet in the facility.

The Prime Minister noted that the community has come a far way in 10 years and encouraged the council and citizens to reflect on the journey and plan for the future.

The event was celebrated with pomp and pageantry with marching bands heralding the Prime Minister’s arrival and a guard of honour mounted by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

Several members of the diplomatic corps; councillors; government officials and scores of students, also attended the event.

CONTACT: ANDREA BRAHAM