Constituencies to get $150m SPARK to modernise parochial roads
Published:Wednesday | January 24, 2024 | 12:31 AM
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that approximately $150 million will be allocated to each constituency under the $40-billion Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme to modernise secondary, parochial and community roads over the next two years.
The rollout of the programme is scheduled for April 1 this year and will run across the next two budget cycles.
Addressing the House of Representatives yesterday, Holness said the primary goal of SPARK is to address the persistent deterioration of Jamaica’s road network, enhance community safety and accessibility while promoting economic development.
The prime minister said the Constituency Development Fund is the “ideal vehicle” for conducting the consultative process through which suitable projects for the programme will be identified.
He said it was expected that the process will wrap up by the end of March with a prioritised listing of potential road projects organised by constituencies.
In his Budget presentation just under a year ago, Holness had indicated $20 billion would be earmarked for national road projects under the direction of the National Works Agency, while the next $20 billion would be reserved and used under the direction of communities through members of parliament and councillors.
Yesterday, he said approximately half of that $20 billion would be be allocated for the repair of local and parochial roads within constituencies.
The prime minister said the half would be divided equally per constituency.
“That is to preserve the principle that has well been established in this House that all constituencies are equal,” said Holness.
He said the remaining $10 billion would be allocated to constituencies based on the mileage of roads in each constituency relative to the total mileage of roads being repaired.
“So that gives now the equity issue because some constituencies have more mileage than others… . That I believe adds to the fairness and equity in the distribution,” said Holness.
He told the House that the success of the programme would rely on the active involvement and cooperation at both the government and community level.
“I’m confident that this programme will bring about positive and transformative changes to our road networks, contributing significantly to the overall prosperity of our communities,” Holness said.