Davis outlines role as PM’s emissary

WESTERN BUREAU:

MINISTER OF State in the Office of the Prime Minister (west), Homer Davis, outlined the purpose for which he has been assigned in western Jamaica by Prime Minister Andrew Holness during the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

Addressing a meeting of the political directorate and staff members of the Hanover Municipal Corporation, along with some major stakeholders within the parish on Tuesday, Davis explained that he will be engaged with organisations such as the local authorities within western Jamaica, to include the Negril Green Island local planning authority, Chambers of Commerce, ministers fraternal and other key officials.

“I am also to look at development of townships and I am to respond immediately, or to engage stakeholders in matters concerning or requires intervention as it relates to traffic and any other local issues, and what that tells me is that my responsibilities in these five parishes (St James, Hanover, Trelawny, Westmoreland and St Ann) [are] actually without borders.”

Further, he stated that he is expected to intervene in areas that are creating challenges and difficulties for stakeholders across the region.

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

“The prime minister sent me to the west as his emissary and as his conduit to the Office of the Prime Minister, Kingston. Critical to my responsibility is the major infrastructure development that will be taking place from St Ann, Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland and it (responsibilities) won’t be confined only to government-executed projects, but also private sector large projects,” Davis said.

“Sometimes developments that should have taken one year, sometimes end up taking five years, and so I am here to say to the mayor of Lucea (Sheridan Samuels), whatever encumbrances that you are having as it relates to the various agencies of Government, you can feel free to speak with me, and whatever that is needed to be done then it will be done,” he stated.

The Government representative made mention of the planned bypass perimeter road slated to take place in Montego Bay, along with major drainage projects that will affect that city, arguing that those projects will have his attention as they will have some level of effect on all four parishes.

Justifying his appointment, Davis continued: “The prime minister has seen that the western parishes sometimes don’t have that latitude to Government, sometimes it takes a much longer time to reach to the right place where the right decisions are to be taken, and so my position is very strategic to that process.”

He said that on his intervention in any matter, he will be speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Holness, who is the official head of the ministry in which he (Davis) reports.

Davis will be operating from the Office of the Prime Minister (west), which is located at 10 Delisser Drive, Montego Bay, St James.