PNP looks to new and existing projects to create jobs
Monday, September 30, 2002
The governing People's National Party (PNP) will be looking to a range of new and existing projects in agriculture, telecommunications, tourism, mining & energy, infrastructure and micro businesses among other areas to drive economic growth and the creation of thousands of jobs over the next five years. A massive infrastructure programme centred on the Highway 2000 mega project and an integrated tourism initiative involving sports, music and other aspects of Jamaican culture are expected to be at the core of the party's job creation thrust in the next term.
This was outlined in the PNP's 2002 manifesto which was launched at a function on Monday (September 16) at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston, with satellite links to Mandeville, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. The 80-page document speaks to, "Accelerating the massive programme of infrastructure development now underway and launching new projects related to tourism, sea ports and airports among other areas as pathways to development." These pathways, it adds, will create the enabling environment necessary for expansion of production, increased efficiency, greater competitiveness and enhancing the quality of life of the Jamaican people.
The projects falling under the Highway 2000 umbrella development are expected to provide up to 120,000 jobs in the long term.
The continuation of the multi-billion expansion of the Kingston Container Transshipment Port which will see additional investments of US$67 million, the development of the Lucea Harbour and the conclusion of the privatisation and expansion of the Sangster International airport are important components of the development and job creation package.
The PNP's 2002 manifesto adds that a cluster of major economic infrastructure projects will be an important source of investment, economic growth and job creation for both skilled and unskilled workers. The point is made in the Party's manifesto that: "We are not building roads and other physical infrastructure for their own sake, but as part of the transformation process which is critical for development and for improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the productive sectors to world standards.