The Government of Jamaica says it’s reviewing the legislative framework governing the development approval process, following a commitment to streamline the process.It's seeking to create a single legislation that is applicable to all agencies.
These include the Town and Country Planning Authority, Natural Resources Conservation Authority and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and all parish councils.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding says the Attorney General and the Chief Parliamentary Counsel have been asked to review existing pieces of legislation and create a single legislative framework to which all the agencies could relate. He says a new building code, as well as regulations governing zoning, are some of the areas which the single legislation would have to address.
Mr. Golding says the government does not intend to use regulations to prevent development from happening, as the country could not remain underdeveloped solely to preserve the environment.
He says development must however be done in a sustainable way and in harmony with the environment.
The Prime Minister says the process would involve strengthening the enforcement regulations, as very often there is no correlation between what is approved and what is built.
In the meantime, Chairman of the Joint Advisory Board, Patrick Rousseau says NEPA would be establishing a database that will be accessible to the public, where they can track their application as it goes through the various procedures.
He says the agency would also be stepping up its inspection and enforcement activities, as low environmental standards are unacceptable.
Complaints about long delays in the granting of development orders, prompted Prime Minister Golding to announce a 90 day timeframe within which the regulatory agencies should respond to applications.
Reproduced with the kind permission of Nationwide News Network
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