Portmore Council Creates Company to Spur Development

The Portmore Municipal Council has set up a company, which will seek funding for development projects in the municipality.
Portmore’s Mayor, George Lee, told JIS News that Portmore was becoming impatient for development, but funds were slow in coming, “so, the Council has set up this private company, which will act on its behalf, to access funds in public and private entities.to spur development.”
The Council has several projects, which it has earmarked for execution including a multi-million dollar municipal headquarters, a new market, drains works and parks.
Mayor Lee explained that the company’s membership, “will go out and see where they can access the requisite funding for the various projects to be undertaken as they will have people with that expertise and vision.”
The council, he said, would have oversight responsibility for all the projects.
So far, Mayor Lee said, a major financial institution had expressed interest in the initiative and the president of a large company had indicated his willingness to participate at the board level.
At a meeting of the Council held recently, Rev. Garnet Roper was appointed to chair the company and the full slate of executive members is expected to be in place by the middle of June. “We have an idea of some of the members already . so by the next Council meeting, they will be named,” said Mayor Lee. He told JIS News that the persons, who will form the executive, were from companies, which operated businesses in Portmore and had an interest in the development of the municipality. Where persons fail to meet the desired expectation, the Mayor said, they would be removed.
In the meantime, he said the Council’s attorneys were in the process of compiling the terms of reference for the company.
“You know, local government reform councils and local authorities have to find ways and means for development and this is the driving force behind the creation of the company. to drive development in Portmore,” Mayor Lee stated.