Work Underway to Regularize Informal Settlements in St. Catherine

State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Arnaldo Brown, says he will be working closely with the Ministry of Housing to regularise a number of settlements within his East Central St. Catherine constituency.

Mr. Brown, who made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives earlier this week, said these will include the settlements of Portmore Villas, Trainline, Washington Mews, Lakes Pen, Lilliput and Monkey Town.

He said work has already started in some of these communities “and we want to see the work through to completion”.

In the meantime, the Member of Parliament said he will also be addressing the deplorable road condition in the Cedar Grove community, which he blamed on poor standard of work by the developers.

He suggested that the state, either through Central or Local Government, “take over such roads immediately, upgrade them, and seek to recover through the Courts, if the need arises, the monies from the developers, who short-changed the residents”. 

He further suggested that such contractors or developers should not be considered for future projects unless they have repaid the cost of the repairs and upgrade, or have themselves, undertaken and carried out the repairs and upgrade of the roads.