Municipal Corporations rake in over $1.5 trillion

The country’s municipal corporations have collectively raked in more than $1.5 trillion from approved building applications since 2016.

While the applications received have totalled 37,577, the significant sum of $1.5 trillion was realized from approved applications.

This was revealed on Friday by the Mayor of Kingston, Senator Delroy Williams, during his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate.

In a wide-ranging presentation, Williams described local government as a “big deal”. He said the local government apparatus has an indispensable role in executing the prosperity plan of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government.

“This model reinforces the importance and increasing impact of local government in the country’s transformative journey. Through policy initiatives, local government has profoundly impacted our communities by bolstering and evolving institutions crucial for national resilience and progress,” Williams said.

He described the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) of which he is chairman, as being fully supportive of the government’s prosperity agenda.

“We play our part in delivering for the people. The government is committed to building a better Jamaica and, like building projects, the municipality has a role to play,” he said.

According to Williams, the “prosperity is taking off” as can be seen in the number of building applications being processed. He disclosed that the KSAMC received over 4,500 building applications between 2019 and 2023. He said this was important as even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic which was crippling economic activity in many industries, the municipality played its part and ensured that the construction industry was able to continue and thrive.

“The contribution to our recovery was no small accomplishment,” Williams told his fellow senators before listing a number of big development projects that has taken place across the corporate area in recent years. He said there are others set to come on stream.

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