Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Government is committed to protecting and preserving the environment.
“There are those who would want to shape the Government in a narrative that it does not seek to protect the environmental assets of the people. There are those who would want to cast the Government in a position that says we are bereft of any form of equity and ethics in the making of decisions about environmental assets. I rubbish that narrative,” Holness said.
The Prime Minister was addressing a ceremony to open the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s St. Ann parish office on Thursday, November 12. He highlighted the decisive actions the Government has taken to protect the environment, including abandoning the Goat Island project.
He noted that the project was touted to bring “untold, immeasurable economic gain and we chose the environment over that”.
The Prime Minister further cited the demarcation of the Cockpit Country with its ecological environmental assets.
“There is a kind of narrative, sometimes, which will want to singularly direct the opinion of the people that there is always a confrontation, a binary approach in development; that you can’t have environmental promotion and preservation and have economic activity. However, in this very facility in which we are, we have built such an environment,” Mr. Holness pointed out.
“In any building that you are going to do, you are going to disturb the environment. The question is not that we should not disturb the environment; it is how do you build? You have to build with sustainability in mind,” he contended.
Holness said the Government has and will continue to build with the sustainability of the environment at the forefront.
He noted that each development must meet the objective of preserving and promoting environmental protection.
“We are not looking to destroy our environment. We are not looking to deprive anyone of the lovely vistas and salubrious environment. I believe we are smart, innovative enough and have the capacity to manage these economic enterprises,” Mr. Holness said.
