Holness credits fiscal discipline for acquisition of ‘Jamaica III’
Published:Thursday | August 12, 2021 | 12:12 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Wednesday hailed the acquisition of the Jamaica lll, a state-of-the-art utility vessel, by the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) as an indication of the Government’s thrust to modernise public infrastructure and leverage technology.
Holness said that during the drive to the former Myers Wharf at Newport East, downtown Kingston, his team travelled along East Street, which proved to be quite an eye-opener for him.
“We came down to this location, and it is quite clear that there has been significant disinvestment in our physical infrastructure, in our buildings, in our downtown [Kingston] waterfront area and that disinvestment has not just been in our real estate infrastructure, but it has also been in other critical infrastructure for the good management of the country.
“And the point that we make here is that capital expenditures were sacrificed as the Budget was overwhelmed with recurrent expenditures and by debt service costs. The fiscal discipline over the last several years has enabled us to prioritise capital spending to improve our infrastructure and truly position ourselves for growth,” the prime minister pointed out.
The Jamaica lll replaces the Jamaica II, a 42-year-old boat, and while the price tag was not disclosed, it is a mega improvement.
“Ten years ago when this country made the decision – not a partisan decision, everybody agreed with this – that we are going to ensure that all our economic decisions are going to be based on fiscal discipline, and now we are reaping the dividends from that national decision around good fiscal management of our public affairs, that we are now able to make capital investments like these,” Holness said.
The Jamaica III will be used primarily in the maintenance of navigational buoys and beacons in the island’s ports. Additionally, the ship will be used to carry out maintenance work to the two offshore lighthouses – Morant Cays and Pedro Cays – which mark the territorial limits of Jamaica’s sea space. The ship can also assist with maintenance of other offshore assets.
The Jamaica III is a utility vessel capable of performing several functions. These functions include buoy tending, hydrographic surveying, marine research, marine construction support, oil-pollution control and recovery as well as towing.