SPARK lit for CHEC

The Jamaican Government has signed a $45-billion contract for road improvement with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), with work expected to begin on the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme this month.

CHEC, which has been operating in Jamaica for more than a decade, will be responsible for executing the SPARK Programme within the next two years.

Addressing the signing ceremony yesterday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness noted that CHEC, which he described as “effectively Jamaican”, was the successful bidder of eight construction companies, including two local companies.

He further stated that the National Works Agency (NWA) would be responsible for the management and oversight of the project.

“There is a very good understanding between the Government of Jamaica, the government of China, but also the NWA and China Harbour, and they (CHEC) know the quality of work that we expect,” he said.

While acknowledging that the expected quality of work has not always been met, Holness emphasised that CHEC has consistently delivered on large-scale contracts.

“China Harbour has been a very good partner to us, and we expect that this programme will be executed with the greatest value of money achieved with the least discomfort to the residents of the areas,” he said.

The SPARK programme, which was announced last year, is expected to rehabilitate some 2,000 roads across Jamaica, including more than 600 community roads.

An allocation of $5 billion has been directed for associated water works in conjunction with the roadworks.

The work will be divided into four packages: Kingston, St Andrew, and St Thomas; St Catherine and Clarendon; Manchester, St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, and Hanover; and St James, Trelawney, St Ann, St Mary, and Portland.

The programme will be carried out in two phases, with one phase focusing on local roads and the other on main roads.

“Once completed, this road network will ease congestion, improve connectivity, and unlock unprecedented economic opportunities along its corridors, supporting sustainable growth for all Jamaicans,” said CHEC Country Manager Dangran Bi.

LONG-TERM SOLUTION

Holness stressed that SPARK is not a routine road-maintenance programme but part of the capital budget. He said roads rehabilitated under the programme will be placed under an engineer-maintenance schedule.

“There are those who feel, ‘Prime Minister, you should just take that $45 billion and patch all the roads’. There is a certain common sense logic to it, but if you think deeply on the problem, patching the roads is a temporary solution for convenience – it is necessary to do it, but it is not a long-term solution to Jamaica’s aged infrastructure,” he said.

The prime minister further stated that processes for the implementation of the programme were completed without compromising any guidelines established for good fiscal management, anti corruption, and transparency.

“We expect that there will be sufficient oversight of the work of the contractors,” Holness said.

TECHNICAL CONTINGENCY

To this end, he said a cost of $3 billion was built into the project for technical oversight.

“Sometimes we rely on the in-house expertise of the NWA, but the truth is with all the projects that the NWA is now undertaking, we would not have the standing capacity to supervise these works to the level that would be required to ensure value for money,” he said.

In the meantime, declaring Jamaica’s deteriorating road conditions a national emergency, Holness also announced the allocation of $2 billion for immediate repairs.

He explained that this $2-billion allocation was an extension of the $3-billion Relief Emergency Assistance and Community Help (REACH) programme, which provided funds to repair roads damaged by Hurricane Beryl in July. This time, however, the NWA will be solely responsible for implementation.

Jamaica’s poor road conditions, worsened by recent heavy rains, have become a major headache for motorists, who have been vocally expressing their frustrations with the state of the roads.

“The NWA will supply the Cabinet with the list of main roads, main thoroughfares that are severely affected, and we expect that we will use this $2 billion to reinstate that critical network. So it’s high-volume traffic areas, critical connecting points, economically sensitive roads, that we will give the initial focus on,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bi gave the assurance that CHEC would execute the SPARK programme according to the “highest international standards of design and construction”.

“At CHEC, we are fully committed to using our engineering skills to support the development of this region. During the SPARK project, we will work closely with local contractors and working, sharing, and communicating our knowledge and skills. This is a part of our ongoing efforts to build lasting partnerships in Jamaica and help improve its infrastructure and workforce,” he said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com