From left, Phillips, Davies and Simpson Miller
The Sunday Gleaner wrote to each of the People's National Party (PNP) contenders for leadership requesting answers to critical nation-building issues. Below are the responses from three of the candidates to one of our questions.
Question: What are your plans for rural development and transformation?
PETER PHILLIPS
RURAL AREAS require infrastructure comparable to that of urban areas. This is not just physical infrastructure - housing, roads, light, water - but social infrastructure - schools, health clinics. Economic opportunities are critical.
The first component is an indicative plan which identifies the comparative advantage of main rural areas. Diversification is essential. Packaging of these opportunities would be the next step. Incentives would then be provided for private investment. This would be comparable to the development projected through Highway 2000.
Improved road communication will mean that some rural areas are essentially dormitory communities.
Complementary recreational and social services would be required to enhance the quality of life of these communities and reduce urban drift.
OMAR DAVIES
The triple project of small business expansion, trans-formation of the system of education and training as well as the two major highway projects - Highway 2000 on the south coast and the North Coast Highway segments I, II, and III - will have a dramatic impact on rural life and on rural townships.
To ensure that the developments are in response to the economic opportunities created by new investments in bauxite, tourism and the physical infrastructure, the Planning Institute of Jamaica is currently developing a plan for the land use and human settlements along these corridors.
That process will continue in a consultative manner. My administration would be taking steps to ensure that facilities and services which bear upon the quality of life, and the efficiency of rural economies will increasingly become available in the rural townships. This will lessen the need for the rural-urban drift. We believe that the outcome will be very positive.
PORTIA SIMPSON MILLER
There is no doubt that a new model of rural development is necessary as Jamaica adjusts to increased urbanisation, a decline in agricultural production, and the negative impact of globalisation on the traditional agricultural sector.
The new model has to be one of integrated rural urban development based on a comprehensive land-use policy and national development plan.
The following will form the bases:
Key principle: The specific resources of an area - natural, human and cultural - must contribute to its sustainable development.Dynamic force: Local initiative and enterprise.Function of rural areas: Diverse service economies.Major rural development problems: The limited capacity of areas and social groups to participate in economic and development activity.Focus of rural development: Capacity building skills, institutions and infrastructure.The approach must, therefore, be area specific and holistic rather than sectoral in nature, thus facilitating a focused, sustained approach that is understandable to both the target communities, as well as the delivery agencies.
An important activity that will emanate from this approach is the preparation of development plans for defined areas that will include the social, economic, physical, environmental, institutional and governance framework that will transform these communities into centres of wealth creation and economic and social empowerment of the residents.
The development plans will be contextualised by focusing on the needs, capacities, and perspectives of the local people, thus ensuring that the area can assume responsibility for bringing about its own socio-economic development.
Critical to this will be the engaging of all contributors in a collaborative arrangement among government agencies as well as among the public, private and voluntary sectors in developing and managing the rural development process in a manner that will be complimentary and supportive to urban centres.
As part of this programme, incentives will be provided for entrepreneurs and qualified individuals originating from rural areas, to be repatriated to work on a defined and agreed implementation strategy for the target communities.
This mechanism is intended to raise the 'absorptive' capacity of the rural communities, thus enabling them to:
Raise and manage project funds. Sustain community training and retraining. Diversify the economic base of the community. Operate in a framework that ensures transparency and accountability, thereby increasing investor confidence and the likelihood of increased economic activity.One area of tremendous potential for our rural communities for example, is the diversification into eco-tourism and community-based tourism.
While there has been some activity in this area, it is my view that Jamaica has not begun to tap the possibilities that exist.
This presents big possibilities for rural communities with respect to:
Development of bed and breakfast and other service-related facilities in communities; Increased and diversified agricultural production to satisfy the needs of visitors to the area - whether as 'day trippers' or stop-over visitors. Training of communities as trail guides and interpreters to conduct hikes, tours and presentations within communities. Development of agro-processing, craft, and herbal nutritional industries, both for the tourism trade and export.To support this process, it will be necessary to establish a focal point for rural integrated development at the highest level of government, to ensure that there is a coordinated approach to rural development which is geared to providing a good quality of life through employment opportunities.
The mandate of my administration will be to work with all stakeholders in:
Defining rural development districts. Preparing comprehensive development plans for these districts. Sourcing funds for implementation of these plans. Establishing a localised system of rural development management that builds on existing programmes of community development and empowerment. Encouraging industrial production to effectively attain value-added accomplishment, thereby lifting the threshold of sustainable employment oppor-tunities and the development of skills.
