THE Economy and Production Committee of the House of Representatives yesterday started deliberations on a resolution put forward by Manchester Southern Member of Parliament (MP) Michael Stewart calling for the restoration of the levy on bauxite mining operations.
In the resolution, the MP argued that over the past 40 years, mining activities in his constituency, as well as other areas in the parishes of St Elizabeth, St Ann, and Clarendon, have devastated orchards, farmlands, and the general environment with no significant benefits in return.
At yesterday's sitting, Manchester North Western MP Mikael Phillips pointed out that mining activities are to begin in his constituency at the end of this month, but that no infrastructure has been put in place for haulage which means main roads will have to be used.
On the matter of the levy, which was established to ensure that some amount of investment is made in communities where there are bauxite mining operations, Phillips said the arrangement has never worked effectively in the history of the constituency development fund.
MP for Portland Eastern, Ann-Marie Vaz, said that going forward, with the new mining activities that are set to take place in Manchester North Western, measures must be put in place to ensure that the situation across other areas is not repeated.
