Opposition concerned about ministerial arrangement for environment portfolio
Published:Tuesday | January 11, 2022 | 3:52 PM
The country's commitment to the sustainability and protection of natural resources is again being questioned by the Opposition, which is criticising the Government for pairing the ministry in charge of economic growth with the environment portfolio.
The portfolio now falls under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, which is headed by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
This was announced yesterday as part of the reshuffle introduced by Holness.
Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding is arguing that the move represents a conflict of interest.
“In an era where climate change is recognised as an existential threat to the survival of mankind, the Prime Minister insists on keeping the environmental protection agency NEPA [National Environment and Planning Agency] under the ministry that is responsible for delivering high levels of economic growth, although it has failed spectacularly to do so,” Golding told journalists during a press conference called by People's National Party this morning.
He posits that not only is it a conflict of interest, but it is also a structural aberration.
He also expressed concern about the regulator allowing the mining of nearly 2,000 hectares of land in the Cockpit Country area, “A unique region that is vital to the country's water supply”.
He also hit out against the special treatment given to Bengal Development.
On the weekend, The Sunday Gleaner reported a December 31 statement from Bengal that it was now in compliance with the permit after it paid a $40-million bond after missing two previous deadlines – January 17, 2021 and March 21, 2021.
READ: Bengal pressing ahead with mining plans
NEPA had said Bengal's request for a further extension was denied.
But Bengal has now said that NEPA wrote it on April 30, 2021, giving it seven additional weeks to pay the bond, which it did on June 7.
Golding took issue with the move.
“All in an effort to allow mining, the ecologically sensitive virgin parts of the Dry Harbour Mountains, which we had originally refused upon. But that prudent and appropriate decision was later overturned by the prime minister's representative,” he said.
The opposition leader called for stronger legislative frameworks to protect the environment.
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