Prime Minister Holness says Every Dollar Spent in New Social Housing Programme Must Uplift and Transform Lives
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has declared that government spending must improve the welfare of citizens.
The Prime Minister says this principle in public expenditure is a core principle of governance, which is spending responsibly for the collective good and welfare of the people.
“Every dollar that government spends should be directed in such a way that it increases welfare. The person who received that dollar, their welfare should improve. And the people who didn’t receive the dollar, who are probably giving the dollar, their welfare should not be decreased, but their welfare should be increased, and that’s the role of government.”
Dr. Holness cautioned against policies that create imbalance or diminish the welfare of others, noting, “Too often we have government policies that are focused on saying, yes, I want to increase your welfare, but they end up reducing the welfare of others.”
Dr. Holness made the comments while speaking on Thursday (May 15) at the handover ceremony for a housing unit under the New Social Housing Programme in Morant Bay, St. Thomas.
Prime Minister Holness also emphasized that even as major progress is being made, the government is also focused on helping those in urgent need like beneficiary, Carlene Williams, who received the new housing unit.
Prime Minister Holness noted that this handover represents another milestone in the Government’s commitment to equitable development and social upliftment across all parishes, with St. Thomas now as a model of transformation and opportunity.
In the meantime, Dr. Holness said the parish of St. Thomas is now a “frontier of new development”, especially in the areas of housing and infrastructure.
“I am very happy to be in the parish of St. Thomas. The parish which was once described as a forgotten parish. Now you are always in my memory. The parish literally is on the frontier of new development. And one area in which there is going to be significant development in St. Thomas is in the area of housing,” the Prime Minister stated.
Dr. Holness noted that recent infrastructure investments, including new roads, water mains, sewage systems, and broadband conduits, are not just improving connectivity but also enabling large-scale residential developments for the first time.
“It is a complete infrastructure that makes other kinds of activities possible. So housing, for example, is not possible on a large scale without the infrastructure. Now all of that is in place, and so you are going to see an explosion of housing in St. Thomas.”
Prime Minister Holness also pointed out that the proximity of St. Thomas to Kingston makes it an ideal location for expansion.
“You are going to see the development that would have overcrowded Kingston slowly find its way into St. Thomas. So, the parish is set for great economic growth and development,” said Prime Minister Holness.