More transparency needed in highway deal

The following is a submission by the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC).

The JCSC takes note of the official ceremony marking the commencement of the North-South Highway project with the significant investment of the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).

The Coalition notes that it appears that the full project was launched, not just the almost-completed Mount Rosser leg of the Highway. The group has also taken note of the strong bipartisan endorsement of the project and of the Government's approach to its implementation. It is hoped that similar bipartisanship will continue to be seen on other priority issues for national development.

The JCSC, like all other sectors of the Jamaican society, welcomes any project that would contribute to Jamaica's sustainable development. The experience in Jamaica has taught, however, that such an outcome is not guaranteed.

Notwithstanding the bipartisan promises of the good that will come of the North-South Highway project, the devil, as is often said, is in the detail. The public must be given the evidence with which to assess whether this, and other public projects, are well thought out; their contractual arrangements are sound and in the best interest of the country, their implementation and oversight arrangements will ensure that they are well managed, and, they meet the bar of sustainable environmental impact.

provide more details

The JCSC, therefore, calls on the Government to provide further and better particulars of the details of the North-South Highway project so that the public is better able to judge and come to informed conclusions.

The JCSC has engaged in a sustained dialogue with the Ministry of Transport and Works about the North-South Highway and proposed Gordon Cay and Fort Augusta port development projects. The Coalition submitted concerns, questions and recommendations in writing to the minister, has met with Minister Davies and his technical team, and the ministry has provided a comprehensive, written response to the questions and comments of the JCSC.

Information on the Government's commitments for the highway, which JCSC has gathered from these exchanges, includes the following.

The Government of Jamaica/ National Road Operating and Constructing Company have some obligations under the draft Concession Agreement with CHEC, these are, inter alia.

1. Tax concessions and waivers which are still the subject of discussion with the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

2. The purchase of lands for the construction of the road and the clearance of utilities.

3. The provision of 5 sq km (approximately 1,200 acres) of lands to be given to CHEC for development of housing/ commercial developments.

AT WHAT VALUE?

The JCSC calls on the Government to inform the public of the economic value of these and any other commitments, as the country has been told that the project is a private investment and will be at no cost to the Government and, by extension, the taxpayers of Jamaica.

Let us recall that it is based on this assertion that the Government has objected to the project being constrained in any way by requirements of the Office of the Contractor General.

In addition, the JCSC calls on the Government to say whether CHEC has been given exclusive development rights of the lands along the corridor from Ferry to Ocho Rios, St Ann. We call for the details to be made public of the scope and limits of the proposed developments. The public should be in a position to judge the pros and cons of these developments BEFORE they are undertaken.

The JCSC notes that Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Works Minister Omar Davies have indicated that the viability of the CHEC investment in the highway is dependent on the housing, hotels and other commercial developments to be carried out. It seems unlikely, therefore, that permits will be subject to rigorous environmental and other standards AFTER the highway project gets under way.

For this reason, the JCSC calls for the following concerns mentioned in the environment impact assessment (EIA) to be taken seriously by the Government and citizens of Jamaica.

The hydrology section of the EIA states that "four rivers cross the area of the proposed highway within a 4km radius of Linstead town while a fifth (Rio Cobre) traverses the alignment in the Angels area. These rivers are known to have large flood plains and tend to swell rapidly and overtop their banks during extreme weather" (EIA, p. 11).

The report recommends that:

"Flood-plain mapping from previous storms and flood-plain analysis should be conducted to identify the existing areas which are prone to flooding for all five major rivers." (EIA, p. 328)

The public should take note that the EIA team interviewed a number of long-time residents of relevant communities, all of whom recalled major flooding events.

FEEDBACK IGNORED?

The public ought to be concerned that against this background of inadequate technical information and folk knowledge of flooding, the EIAconcludes that storm water and drainage issues are considered to be "minor, local, small" impacts. (EIA, Table 6.1, p. 292)

The JCSC calls on Minister Davies and the National Environment and Planning Agency to inform the public of the following:

By when they will avail themselves of the "flood-plain mapping from previous storms and flood-plain analysis ... to identify the existing areas which are prone to flooding for all five major rivers" as recommended by the EIA, p. 328.

By when they will avail themselves of a "hydraulic report that meets and exceeds the requirements of the National Works Agency". (EIA, p. 329)

The promise of jobs and development must not trump due diligence, transparency, and adherence to sound and sustainable environmental standards.

Without these, the valuable gains to be had from the highway construction could be negated in the medium to long term.

Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jamaicacsc@gmail.com.