Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness says the Government of Jamaica does not build houses, emphasising that housing delivery is undertaken by contractors engaged through structured and legally defined arrangements.
The Prime Minister was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Galina Housing Development in St. Mary, where he underscored the central role of contractors in national development, particularly as the Government scales up its housing and development programme.
Prime Minister Holness indicates that contractors are essential partners in the achievement of Jamaica’s housing targets and must expand their capacity in line with the country’s growing demand for housing solutions. He notes that as the Government increases its investment in housing development, the contracting sector must also evolve to meet the scale and pace required.
He is urging the development of a stronger local contracting class that operates at an enterprise level, with the systems, structure, and capacity to deliver large-scale projects efficiently. The Prime Minister highlights the importance of professionalism and the integration of technology to support the increasing volume of capital works being brought to market.
While noting that the Government continues and will continue to make preferential arrangements for local contractors, Prime Minister Holness emphasises that all public projects must remain competitive. He indicates that local contractors must therefore operate with a competitive mindset, positioning themselves to meet both national and international standards.
In this context, the Prime Minister referenced the contractors engaged for the Galina Housing Development in St. Mary, Henan Fifth. He indicates that the company will be held to high performance standards and must demonstrate a clear contribution to Jamaica’s development.
Prime Minister Holness emphasises that such engagements must not be extractive, noting that there must be meaningful skills transfer and a demonstrated commitment to corporate social responsibility as part of project execution.
He further indicates that the Government will continue to increase capital expenditure and is calling on contractors to prepare to meet the resulting demand.
The Prime Minister reiterates that Jamaica requires contractors who are innovative, capable, and ready to operate at scale, with the capacity to undertake enterprise-level production and support the country’s development priorities.
