Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Mining, the Honourable J.C. Hutchinson, has made a commitment to ensure that more families who have been relocated from bauxite lands are presented with their titles in the near future.

Minister Hutchinson recently met with families who were resettled in areas in Manchester and toured several subdivisions developed by JAMALCO, including Hampton, Lancaster, Blenheim and Bethel Isles. This forms part of a series of visits which allow discussion between the government, the bauxite companies and persons who have been relocated; to identify the level of development and what is needed to facilitate faster delivery of titles.

Hon. JC Hutchinson, Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Mining, in discussion with (fron left) Mr. Howard Brown, Capital Expenditure Manager at Jamalco, Dr. Oral Rainford, Principal Director, Mining/Minerals Policy and Ms. Anika Rodriques, Subdivision Superintendent at JAMALCO

The Minister was joined by representatives of from the Mining Ministry, the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, the Manchester Municipal Corporation, the Clarendon Alumina Production Limited and JAMALCO.

“The reality is, for you to move forward and secure your land for your family, you have to have that piece of paper”, said Minister Hutchinson.

He further stated, “The title is the most important documents for a person to move forward in life, and that is one of the main things I am driving in the Ministry. Persons who have been relocated by the bauxite mining companies must get their title”.

“One of my purposes is to get the titles to you as soon as possible. There are certainly some challenges but we have to ensure that they are sorted out so persons can receive their titles”. The Minister reiterated the importance of keeping the lines of communication open among stakeholder in order to make the process smoother.

He further outlined that more land titles are to be delivered in short order, stating that all the relevant organizations are coming together to see how “the pieces can fit together” in order to do what needs to be done. “This is a problem that needs to be solved and it must be solved”.

The Minister congratulated residents for forming an organization to facilitate better dialogue between them and the government. This, he says, will make things easier in hearing a collected voice on what is needed in the communities.