Crawford calls on NWA to fast-track approvals, Shaw defends agency
Jamaica
MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Central Rhoda Crawford is urging the National Works Agency (NWA) to increase the pace of approving roadworks in her constituency.
“The Government allocated $40 million to all Members of Parliament. I did my submission in January. I understand that there are some procurement issues at the NWA head office in Kingston [and] I want to make a special appeal here today to the team at NWA,” Crawford told journalists during a function in Mandeville recently.
Motorists in Mandeville have complained about the deplorable state of roads close to the town centre, including a section of Manchester Road leading to the Northern Caribbean University.
But Crawford argued that the Manchester Road is among those which she submitted to the NWA for repairs some six months ago.
She charged that politicians are often blamed for the slow implementation of projects, while it is often State agencies which cause the delay.
“We want them to move as swiftly as they can while obeying the guidelines to get these projects out. It cannot be that I would have submitted several roads since January [and] it is six months later and none of those projects have been approved so that the work can start.
“When constituents and citizens don’t understand this, at the end of the day, it is the political representatives who gets blamed for these things, so I am appealing to the NWA, please, whatever the issues are in the procurement department, sort them out so that we can get the work of the people done,” added Crawford.
However, NWA Communications Manager Stephen Shaw defended the agency’s handling of the submissions made by MPs.
“What has happened is that we have projects for every Member of Parliament that we have to procure through this programme,” said Shaw.
“It is impossible for us to go through 200 projects, or thereabout, and for each project you have to do tenders. You might get three tenders on average per project, and that is putting it at 600 tenders that you have to…evaluate. So there are a lot of things involved before we get to the point where a contract is signed,” added Shaw.
He said, “Not everyone will see the activities at the same time,” in response to Crawford’s complaints.
“Yes, we have budgetary support from the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, but the rules of engagement remain the same. We have to follow the processes that have been established by the Government as it relates to the contracting process,” declared Shaw.
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