Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, will
be leading a special Ministerial team that will tour the flood-damaged parishes of St.
Ann, St. Mary and Portland today, Wednesday, February 9, to assess conditions
and pave the way for further interventions to assist affected parishioners.

“This team will be comprised of the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., Minister of Agriculture
and Fisheries, and the Hon. Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the
Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation. It will also include the Members of
Parliament from the Constituencies in these parishes, Mayors of the parish capitals
and representatives from a number of Agencies including Mr. Varden Downer,
Senior Director of Project Implementation at the National Works Agency.

“The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is already active on the ground in
providing relief supplies, and one of the objectives of the tour is to see what more
can be done to complement the work being done.

“Our visit will also help us to quickly devise targeted interventions to help the
affected sectors in these parishes, such as agriculture. We will commence
tomorrow’s activities in Portland, then move on to St. Mary and then to St. Ann.

“This Administration is highly cognizant of the disruption that the rains have caused
in these parishes, and our response has, and will continue to reflect joined-up
government in the delivery of support to our citizens,” said Minister McKenzie.