JBI Warns Against Squatting on Jamaica’s Bauxite Lands

The Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) is calling on Jamaicans not to occupy bauxite properties illegally, warning that those lands are needed for planned use before mining begins and after mining has ended.

The agency says the properties also support farming activities, which depend on properly organised infrastructure and development planning in Jamaica’s five bauxite parishes.

Kemoy Lindsay, Director of Bauxite Lands and Programme Manager for the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP), said the JBI leads work tied to safeguarding bauxite lands and managing them in a sustainable way.

He said the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) delivered hundreds of greenhouses in three bauxite parishes during its first phase, with more expected under the second phase. However, he said the spread of squatting on these lands has become a serious concern that the public must be made aware of.

Mr. Lindsay made the comments during a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank at the agency’s Television Department in Kingston on Thursday, May 21.

According to him, the Institute has started putting measures in place to keep bauxite lands free from illegal occupation, whether those lands are awaiting mining or have already passed through the mining process.

He said the JBI has already taken part in the removal of several squatters from bauxite areas, including properties set aside for projects and future development. Mr. Lindsay added that the Institute will step up enforcement in the next financial year and continue that approach throughout the life of Jamaica’s bauxite industry.

The JBI is regarded as a major source of information on bauxite and alumina, with recognised strength in research and data analysis on industry developments. Its role places Jamaica among the few developing nations with an institution focused solely on the research and development of one of the country’s key mineral resources.