PM GOLDING INSTRUCTS KSAC TO PREPARE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR MAY PEN CEMETERY

July 16, 2010

PM GOLDING INSTRUCTS KSAC TO PREPARE DEVELOPMENT

PLAN FOR MAY PEN CEMETERY

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has given a directive to the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) to prepare a plan for the development of the May Pen Cemetery which is the major burial facility for the Corporate Area.

Prime Minister Golding toured the facility on July 15 with a team that included Minister of Health, Ruddy Spencer, KSAC Mayor, Desmond McKenzie, representatives from the Forestry Department and the Rural Agriculture Development Agency (RADA).  On the tour he witnessed the major work being undertaken to remove overgrowth from large parts of the cemetery and the need for extensive drain repair.

Prime Minister Golding had this to say:

"It's not the kind of work that can be done in just one project. It is going to be something that has to be done over a period of time. We want to approach it in a structured way to see what sort of resources are required, how can those resources be dedicated here, in terms of existing resources that are with various government agencies and in terms of additional resources that can be made available. But I do feel this has been such a longstanding source of concern that we are going to see how we can, together, address a real serious development programme for the cemetery. Looking at

what has been done before but re-focusing that, re-calibrating that, developing a plan. I want to see exactly what it would look like at the end of the process and see step-by-step how we would get there over what period of time. That is the approach that we are going to take."

Mr. Golding said that the plan could also consider partnerships with the private sector. The May Pen cemetery is more than 100 acres in size and divided into lots directly purchased by members of the public, Church allocations, and the section for pauper burials.  Many Jamaican luminaries are interred there including noted cricketer, Collie Smith of Boys Town.