Jamaicans Want a Government that Performs
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has issued a powerful reminder to Jamaicans to examine the track record of delivery when evaluating leadership, especially during the “promising season”.
Speaking yesterday (May 27) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the long-anticipated Ferry to Rock Pond Pipeline Project in St. Andrew, Prime Minister Holness says this administration has been consistently delivering on long-standing infrastructure needs and that this water project is just one of many.
“It doesn’t matter what you are promised; you have to look at the track record of delivery. Does the promisor, the man with the good intent, have the wherewithal to deliver?”
The Prime Minister made it clear that the project was not a hasty move or pre-election stunt but the result of years of planning and economic improvement under his government. He said many of the projects now coming to fruition were long in the making, delayed not by negligence or lack of will, but by previous financial constraints.
“These projects that we are breaking ground for today are not new projects. They were on the books, many of them, for a long time. Was it because they didn’t care? Was it because they were lackadaisical? No. They didn’t have the money,” he explained.
Now, with improved fiscal capacity and strengthened infrastructure plans, Dr. Holness said the government has proven it has the wherewithal, the resources, planning, and execution ability to deliver real results.
“For the nine years that you have elected this government, we have demonstrated the wherewithal to be able to deliver, not just the projects that we originated, but the projects that were promised by previous administrations,” he said.
Dr. Holness noted that 58 similar water infrastructure projects are set to break ground, underscoring a national push to modernize basic utilities and restore public faith in government effectiveness.
In this “promising season,” the Prime Minister urged Jamaicans to look beyond rhetoric and promises and instead examine who has consistently gotten the job done. He emphasized that bridging the gap between promise and delivery requires more than good intentions; it requires governance that works.
“The citizens want a government that performs, and this is the government that is working for the people,” Dr. Holness said.
The Ferry to Rock Pond Pipeline Project is one of many initiatives that reflect the Government’s strategic investment in improving water distribution, especially in communities like Red Hills, Lees Flat, and Chancery Hall affected by challenging terrain and outdated infrastructure.