Thursday, September 22, 2011

Caribeean Development Bank official laments region's 'cavalier' approach to public infrastructure maintenance

Donna Hussey-White in the Jamaica Observer: A senior official of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has lamented what he described as the apparent "cavalier" manner in which regional governments have historically treated the maintenance of public infrastructure. Norman Cameron, division chief of the project services division of the CDB, said such a practice is one of the major shortcomings of governments in the Caribbean.

"Too often in the region, costly infrastructure is constructed and they struck a shortened lifespan because of inadequate maintenance," Cameron said yesterday. "Highways are a good example, our roads are too often left to deteriorate to the extent that they have to be prematurely reconstructed at considerable cost." He said substantial funding from the CDB to Jamaica has gone into highway reconstruction, hurricane rehabilitation, airport project, irrigation, and water supply maintenance, among others.

Cameron was speaking at the opening of the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE) Caribbean Infrastructure Conference at the Pegasus hotel in Kingston. The two-day conference is being held under the theme 'Developing Sustainable Infrastructure' as part of the JIE engineer's week being celebrated from September 18-25. "Vibrant and active engineering activities are crucial to the sustainable development of infrastructure in countries of the region," Cameron told the small gathering...

The Spring Garden Highway in Barbados, shot by BajanZindy, Wikimedia Commons

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