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90-day distress
Bureaucracy still hampering development projects, say business leaders
BY PATRICK FOSTER Observer writer fosterp@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, October 08, 2010
BUSINESS leaders yesterday knocked the Government for not delivering on its promise to have decisions made within 90 days on development projects submitted to the authorities, arguing that the approval process is still fraught with bureaucratic delays and subsequent financial losses.
In his 2007 election campaign, Prime Minister Bruce Golding had declared that development proposals would be dealt with within 90 days or the project could be considered approved.
Pioneer developer Maurice Facey makes a point at yesterday’s luncheon of business leaders hosted by Observer chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart at the Observer’s head office in Kingston. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
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However, yesterday pioneer developer Maurice Facey, obviously frustrated, said the "Government does not appear to make any decision promptly".
According to Facey, there was an absence of a master development plan, which he argued would greatly assist the Government in making its decisions.
He said that in Canada, development proposals are presented before all agencies involved at one sitting, and decisions are routinely made within two weeks.
Contending that it takes 14 different agencies to approve a development proposal, Montego Bay businessman Mark Kerr-Jarrett said that the amount should be consolidated.
He admitted that some work has been done since the prime minister's statement and a tracking number is now used to monitor the application through the system, but said that the process was still burdensome and inadequate.
"We have to hand in 11 copies of the plan," Kerr-Jarrett said, and proposed the establishment of a development order which, he said, would negate the need for proposals to go outside of the parish council.
"We have to stick to the 90-day mandate that the prime minister gave," Kerr-Jarrett insisted.
The businessmen were guests at a luncheon hosted by Sandals Resorts and Observer chairman Gordon 'Butch' Stewart at the newspaper's Beechwood Avenue headquarters in Kingston.
Stewart questioned whether the 90-day stipulation could invariably place undue pressure on the system and mooted the possibility of streamlining the agencies to reduce bureaucracy.
However Chris Levy, CEO of Jamaica Broilers, argued that the idea of completing the approval process in 90 days was misleading.
"The 90 days is to get your project approved," he said. "After that you have to get your EIA, you have to do your air quality, you have to do your water, your public consultation..." he declared.
Levy, in agreeing with Facey, said that zoning would allow projects of similar nature in the same region to be more easily approved.
The businessmen were at odds, not only with government policy, but also personnel, procedures and processes at the various agencies.
Adam Stewart, Sandals Resorts deputy chairman, argued that there was a "major disconnect" between the authorities in the system.
He said that documents on a recent US$10 million hotel renovation were rejected by the parish council because the application was short J$500.
MegaMart owner Gassan Azan interjected, saying that when a project is rejected for such reasons, the waiting period is often 30 days until another parish council meeting is convened.
"The persons that have the authority in the parish council offices do not understand the urgency of development," said Stewart.
"It could be interpreted that they are there to block it," he commented.
Bureaucracy still hampering development projects, say business leaders
BY PATRICK FOSTER Observer writer fosterp@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, October 08, 2010
BUSINESS leaders yesterday knocked the Government for not delivering on its promise to have decisions made within 90 days on development projects submitted to the authorities, arguing that the approval process is still fraught with bureaucratic delays and subsequent financial losses.
In his 2007 election campaign, Prime Minister Bruce Golding had declared that development proposals would be dealt with within 90 days or the project could be considered approved.
Pioneer developer Maurice Facey makes a point at yesterday’s luncheon of business leaders hosted by Observer chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart at the Observer’s head office in Kingston. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
1/3
However, yesterday pioneer developer Maurice Facey, obviously frustrated, said the "Government does not appear to make any decision promptly".
According to Facey, there was an absence of a master development plan, which he argued would greatly assist the Government in making its decisions.
He said that in Canada, development proposals are presented before all agencies involved at one sitting, and decisions are routinely made within two weeks.
Contending that it takes 14 different agencies to approve a development proposal, Montego Bay businessman Mark Kerr-Jarrett said that the amount should be consolidated.
He admitted that some work has been done since the prime minister's statement and a tracking number is now used to monitor the application through the system, but said that the process was still burdensome and inadequate.
"We have to hand in 11 copies of the plan," Kerr-Jarrett said, and proposed the establishment of a development order which, he said, would negate the need for proposals to go outside of the parish council.
"We have to stick to the 90-day mandate that the prime minister gave," Kerr-Jarrett insisted.
The businessmen were guests at a luncheon hosted by Sandals Resorts and Observer chairman Gordon 'Butch' Stewart at the newspaper's Beechwood Avenue headquarters in Kingston.
Stewart questioned whether the 90-day stipulation could invariably place undue pressure on the system and mooted the possibility of streamlining the agencies to reduce bureaucracy.
However Chris Levy, CEO of Jamaica Broilers, argued that the idea of completing the approval process in 90 days was misleading.
"The 90 days is to get your project approved," he said. "After that you have to get your EIA, you have to do your air quality, you have to do your water, your public consultation..." he declared.
Levy, in agreeing with Facey, said that zoning would allow projects of similar nature in the same region to be more easily approved.
The businessmen were at odds, not only with government policy, but also personnel, procedures and processes at the various agencies.
Adam Stewart, Sandals Resorts deputy chairman, argued that there was a "major disconnect" between the authorities in the system.
He said that documents on a recent US$10 million hotel renovation were rejected by the parish council because the application was short J$500.
MegaMart owner Gassan Azan interjected, saying that when a project is rejected for such reasons, the waiting period is often 30 days until another parish council meeting is convened.
"The persons that have the authority in the parish council offices do not understand the urgency of development," said Stewart.
"It could be interpreted that they are there to block it," he commented.
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