THE SHIPPING Association of Jamaica (SAJ) is calling on the relevant authorities to immediately take action aimed at preventing flooding of Marcus Garvey Drive and Newport West. These areas are of tremendous importance to the island's industrial and commercial life.
"The opportunity cost of port downtime due to flooding will see our country losing substantial sums of foreign exchange earnings if corrective measures are not immediately taken to prevent the flooding we experienced last Friday," warns Mr. Harry Maragh, president of the SAJ.
This call comes immediately following rains last Friday that resulted in flooding of sections of Marcus Garvey Drive and Newport West. The flooding had a negative effect on economic activity and left numerous workers stranded until late into the night.
The SAJ president said, "The Jamaican Government will be making a grievous error if it does not act swiftly to correct the infrastructural weaknesses that are responsible for the extensive flooding that takes place on Marcus Garvey Drive and Newport West after only one hour of rainfall as happened on Friday."
Mr. Maragh added: "The members of the SAJ and the Newport West community contribute millions to the Government coffers through various taxes, yet we continue to suffer from poor drainage and bad roads due to the negligence of Government agencies."
