A US$6 million fund is being established, the proceeds of which will be used to maintain the island's main roads.
The House of Representatives yesterday passed the Road Maintenance Fund Act which paves the way for the fund to be put in place.
Robert Pickersgill, Minister of Transport and Works who piloted the Bill, said the fund will be boosted by one-third of the revenue collected for motor vehicle licences. This amount normally goes to the Consolidated Fund. As a consequence, the Road Traffic Act has been amended.
Currently two-thirds of the revenue collected as licence duties on motor vehicles goes into the Parochial Revenue Fund which is used by the Local Authorities for road maintenance. However, Parish Councillors and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation have constantly complained that the funds are inadequate.
Yesterday Opposition Members of Parliament urged that a way be found simultaneously to maintain secondary and parochial roads, a job not now effectively done by the Local Authorities.
"The vast majority of the commuting public do not suffer from the deterioration of our main roads. The secondary roads is where the problem is," said Karl Samuda, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) MP for North Central St. Andrew. He said Parish Councils should be given their own equipment to perform at a satisfactory level.
Delroy Chuck, JLP MP for North East St. Andrew, argued that community roads had not been maintained for the last 10 -15 years. He said a way should be found to maintain all roads at the same level, instead of giving priority to main roads.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in his contribution to the debate acknowledged that the road network in many of the housing developments had not been maintained. He said they would be addressed in the near future. He pointed to the Government's "comprehensive road programme" and noted that some contractors were currently overstretched. He sounded warning that contractors who were not fulfilling their obligations would have the work reassigned.
"It is no secret that maintenance of the road network has not always been carried out consistently but we are taking steps to remedy this problem," Pickersgill said. He explained that the establishment of a fund dedicated to road maintenance was intended to address the problems associated with budgetary funding while providing a transparent mechanism for the allocation of resources.
The Minister stressed that the fund that will be managed by a Board will be used only for the maintenance of the main road network not for construction or reconstruction purposes.
The Inter-American Development Bank has already approved a loan facility that will provide US$6 million (J$280 million) per annum over the next four years. Provision is made for the Finance Minister to add to the fund.
The Board will ensure that:
Funds are disbursed for road maintenance projects.
Regular financial and technical audits are done in respect of completed road work.
Review and monitor the annual road maintenance programme submitted by the National Works Agency.
Submit quarterly reports to the responsible Minister on expenditure from the fund and on completed road maintenance works.
Prepare estimates and budgets and make forecasts as to the availability of funds.
The Board will ensure that:
Funds are disbursed for road maintenance projects.
Regular financial and technical audits are done in respect of completed road work.
Review and monitor the annual road maintenance programme submitted by the National Works Agency.
Submit quarterly reports to the responsible Minister on expenditure from the fund and on completed road maintenance works.
Prepare estimates and budgets and make forecasts as to the availability of funds.
