I always love meeting young Jamaicans who are making us proud on the world stage, and this meeting was extra special because we took things outside for a true Jamaican-style backyard cooking session! This afternoon, I spent some time by the outdoor stove with Tkaiya Dryden, a brilliant young chef who is currently competing on MasterChef and representing Jamaica. On the global stage of this intense competition, she is using the family secrets learned from her grandmother to share our bold Caribbean flavours with the judges. We caught the whole session on camera, and the official video is coming out soon. You will get to see how our cooking session turned out and hear more of her amazing story. Keep an eye out for it!

The Government, through the UDC, has announced a major development plan for Ocho Rios covering seven key projects, including upgrades to the Ocho Rios Bay Beach, Turtle River Park, Shaw Park, and major redevelopment work at Dunn’s River Falls & Park, as well as Belmont Cove and Laughing Waters. The plan also includes a strong housing push, with 1,500 to 2,000 units proposed across Mansfield, Chalky Hill, and Malvern Park. Nationally, the UDC is expected to contribute up to 12,000 housing solutions, supporting the wider Government housing programme alongside the NHT and HAJ.

During my visit to the Featherbed Lane housing development in Spanish Town, I received an update from the St. Catherine North Police Division on the progress being made to improve public safety in the area. I was encouraged to hear that murders in St. Catherine North have decreased by 34.8%, with most major crimes also trending downward. As someone who grew up in Spanish Town, it is encouraging to see new housing developments, including the 121-unit Featherbed Lane project, and renewed investment in the area. I commend SSP Nicholson and the St. Catherine North Police Division for their commitment to keeping our communities safe.

You may have heard me mention our plans for another major development in St. Catherine. Our work at Greater Bernard Lodge is going exceptionally well and will eventually provide anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 houses. Now, we are turning our attention to Innswood. The NHT has been tasked with creating the master plan for this area, and we already have applications for nearly 5,000 new houses there. The main challenge for this project is the infrastructure leading up to the area, specifically around St. John’s Road and Greenacres. We know that drainage is a major problem and that this area floods heavily whenever it rains. Because of this, we are putting a proper master plan in place first to widen the road and fix the drainage properly. We want to ensure that before those 5,000 housing solutions are built, the surrounding infrastructure is strong enough to handle it and protect the community from flooding.

As our former capital, Spanish Town holds incredible historic value; it still retains its beautiful Georgian architecture and many historic buildings remain standing in Emancipation Square. Like so much of the infrastructure across Jamaica, it has simply been left to decay over a long period. It weighs heavily on my mind every day. The reality is that aging and overburdened infrastructure is a challenge right across Jamaica. You could pick almost any town on our island, and the very same description would apply. Our mission is to systematically address these challenges so that every town, starting with our historic spaces, gets the renewal it deserves.

On Friday, we broke ground for 221 new homes on 36 acres of land at what we used to call Featherbed Lane. Soon, it will be Featherbed Drive, though I have to say, Featherbed Boulevard has a really nice ring to it! This development is a major investment in our people. When you look at the designs for this new housing scheme, you can see a real shift in how we build. In the past, many houses were built strong enough to stand up to the weather, but they weren't always designed well for our Caribbean climate. What I love about this new project is that the developers are paying true attention to the aesthetics. We are creating a beautiful, modern community that people will love to live in.

We are shifting the paradigm of how we build and live in Jamaica. For too long, we have seen communities grow without a clear plan or vision. People just want a roof over their heads, so they build what they can, where they can. But when we just build without thinking about design, aesthetics, or the future, we miss the bigger picture. The goal cannot be to simply replace a zinc and board jungle with a concrete and steel jungle. We must create spaces where Jamaicans can truly thrive, feel safe, and feel good inside their own homes. True development means looking ahead. It means building houses that are smart and sustainable. We have to start thinking about how we manage the tropical heat, how we harvest and store water efficiently, and how we tap into renewable energy like solar power. I am encouraged to see that our local developers are stepping up and putting real thought, care, and modern technology into their blueprints. We are moving away from haphazard construction and moving toward purposeful, beautiful, and resilient communities. Every single Jamaican deserves to live in a space that lifts their spirit and stands the test of time. Let us keep raising the bar for how we build our nation.

This morning, we celebrated a major milestone for our local digital economy at the inauguration of the Sutherland Solar Energy Initiative. As one of the largest employers in our Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, Sutherland has already done tremendous work creating jobs and giving thousands of young Jamaicans a platform to build their careers. Now, by transitioning their operations to clean solar power, they are proving that a business can be both a powerhouse for employment and a leader in environmental preservation. When a major company like Sutherland invests heavily in renewable energy, it reinforces exactly where Jamaica needs to go.

The Nightingale Grove Bridge is back in service! This bridge connects Spring Village, Back Pasture, Worthy Park, and Nightingale Grove to school, work, healthcare, and market. It is a vital link for daily travel and emergency services. We welcome the return of daily travel for these St. Catherine communities.

The first shovels went into the ground at Wick Hall Estate in Spanish Town yesterday morning, marking the start of 221 new homes for Jamaican families. A house provides shelter, but a home is where the story of a family unfolds. The true value of these structures rests in the life that happens inside them. These walls will soon witness children doing homework, families sharing Sunday dinners, and neighbours celebrating birthdays together. We welcome the beginning of this community today, and we look forward to the generations of memories that will be built right here.

This morning, we broke ground for 221 new homes at Wick Hall Estate in Spanish Town, another important step in expanding housing opportunities for Jamaican families. To the future homeowners of Wick Hall Estate, I hope these homes become places filled with love, growth, and cherished memories, the setting for birthdays, homework, Sunday dinners, quiet evenings, and the everyday moments that strengthen families.

It was a pleasure joining the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce for its 41st Annual Awards Banquet. For 247 years, the Chamber has played an important role in Jamaica’s commercial life, supporting businesses and contributing to our country’s growth and development. Congratulations to all the nominees and awardees. Your hard work, resilience, and commitment to excellence deserve to be celebrated. You have earned this recognition. As Jamaica continues to navigate challenges and seize new opportunities, the partnership between Government and the private sector remains essential. Thank you to the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce for your continued leadership and service to Jamaica.

Yesterday, I attended a meeting of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) board and returned to the boardroom for the first time since 2017. The UDC building on the Kingston waterfront is over 60 years old and is part of the early development of the waterfront area. Many of the buildings in this area are now ageing and need major repair, upgrading, and maintenance. The UDC also holds several land and property assets across Jamaica, many of which are underused. My focus is to ensure these assets are put to better use to support jobs, growth, and national development. We also discussed opportunities in St Ann, including the Turtle Beach and Ocho Rios Bay area, which has strong development history but now needs renewal and better use of existing spaces. I look forward to the plans from the UDC as we work to bring these assets back into productive use for the benefit of our people.

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr., has announced the start of the pilot phase of HARP, the Humanitarian Assistance Relief Platform, as part of Phase Two of the Government’s recovery programme. HARP will support individuals who were unable to be transitioned to payment earlier due to issues such as incorrect TRN information, outdated phone numbers, duplicate records, or other verification challenges. Under Phase Two, payments will be made through direct deposits. Persons without bank accounts will receive assistance to open accounts through partnerships with financial institutions. Alternative arrangements will also be made to ensure support reaches those who choose not to use banking services. Beneficiaries are encouraged to bring valid identification and any required supporting documents to help resolve outstanding issues and complete the process for payment.

Minister Pearnel Charles Jr., Minister of Labour and Social Security, announced that more than $10 billion has been spent to support Jamaicans affected by Hurricane Melissa. This includes approximately $9.5 billion through the ROOFS Programme, as well as funding for food assistance, emergency response efforts, damage assessments, and recovery operations. An additional $152 million from UNICEF provided grants to PATH households and persons with disabilities. Support has also been strengthened through partnerships with the World Food Programme, churches, and other organisations assisting affected communities. The Ministry remains focused on completing payments to eligible beneficiaries, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that no eligible Jamaican is left behind in the recovery process.

Minister of Finance, Hon. Fayval Williams has clarified the rules for bringing cash into Jamaica. Travellers can bring cash into the country, but if you are carrying US$10,000 or more (or the equivalent in another currency), you must declare it when filling out the Enter Jamaica form. If you are carrying less than US$10,000, no declaration is needed. The Minister explained that the J$100,000 figure mentioned in law is a security guideline used by law enforcement to support checks where necessary. It is not a limit on how much money you can bring into the country.

St. Ann holds tremendous potential, and we are taking deliberate steps to ensure that its development creates meaningful opportunities for our people and strengthens Jamaica’s future. Today, I joined the Urban Development Corporation team and key stakeholders to review transformative plans for Ocho Rios and several of St. Ann’s iconic locations. As we move these plans forward, we are committed to ensuring that the benefits are shared by our communities and that St. Ann continues to grow as a destination of pride and opportunity.

We are serious about the development of St. Ann, and today we are taking a closer look at some of the exciting plans for the parish. We have an exceptional team, and we are excited about the future of St. Ann. Here’s a glimpse of what that future looks like. And what about the world-famous Dunn’s River Falls and Park? We have major development plans for that as well. As for Belmont Cove (Little Dunn’s River), we have a vision for that too. Now, for Laughing Waters, this is the vision proudly being brought to life by the UDC.

The Urban Development Corporation is leading the redevelopment of Ocho Rios, St. Ann. Today, we are meeting at the UDC Head Office in downtown Kingston to discuss these development plans. As we engage in these discussions, it is important that key stakeholders are involved. At the core of all our development plans is the question of how our citizens will benefit and how our country will advance. This is why we are focused on both housing and commercial development. As we move forward with these plans, we will undertake broad consultations to ensure that all stakeholders are informed and their perspectives are considered.

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