Golding presses Holness to table Integrity Commission FLA report

Opposition Leader Mark Golding is calling on House Speaker Juliet Holness to lay before Parliament an Integrity Commission investigative report on the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) without further delay.

In a letter to the Speaker, Golding said the document was submitted to Parliament on 30 March but has still not been tabled in the House of Representatives. The matter was reported in the Sunday Gleaner.

The commission’s review looks at claims of corruption, impropriety, and irregularities linked to granting, varying, and revoking firearm licences, and to how guns and ammunition are stored at the FLA. Golding described the issue as nationally significant and argued that withholding the report weakens transparency and accountability.

He said the FLA is a public body with statutory duties, so there is a strong public interest in addressing any misconduct affecting its work. He also maintained that court action by the FLA should not stop the report from being tabled unless a court specifically orders otherwise, and that using litigation to block disclosure would run counter to the Integrity Commission’s role in promoting openness in public affairs.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness said on Monday that reports claiming the Government plans to ban the alcoholic mix known as “rum and boom” are false. The ministry said Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton raised concerns about mixing alcohol with energy drinks and outlined health risks, but announced no ban. The National Council on Drug Abuse will carry out a rapid national assessment to gauge how widespread the practice is and which groups are most affected. Findings are expected to shape education, interventions, and possible policy steps such as warning labels, along with community partnerships on substance abuse.

St Catherine municipal councillors have renewed complaints about how roads were chosen under the SPARK road programme. At a recent municipal corporation meeting, Linstead Division Councillor Kesha Louie said councillors were asked to nominate ten roads, but she received approval for only one—the Tradigga Park main road, which serves the division’s only primary school. She said residents, students, and taxi operators remain affected and that she has no timeline for works on a route already approved under SPARK.

Works Minister Robert Morgan told TVJ News that SPARK prioritises main roads, with community roads addressed if extra funds are available, and that roads not done in phase one could be handled in a second phase around 2028–2029. Spanish Town Mayor Norman Scott said consultation methods may be part of the problem.

The University of Technology, Jamaica, says a two-megawatt solar system at its Papine and satellite campuses could cut monthly electricity costs from about $15 million to $7.5 million, with optional battery storage. The Government is funding procurement through open international tendering.