Today, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) expressed concern in a press release today about what seems to be a volte face by the Prime Minister on the matter of mining permits for the Bengal area of St. Ann (Puerto Bueno or Dry Harbour Mountain), which for a while appeared to have been abandoned after the company in question had once again failed to meet the requirements of the performance bond. However, the company is now going ahead – even though they had already failed to meet the terms imposed by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) not once, but twice. Well, third time lucky, it seems.

A reminder that the Holness administration recently demoted Environment and Climate Change (there is now NO ministryunder that banner) to “Economic Growth and Job Creation,” under the purview of his own office, like NEPA. There is no Environment/Climate Change Minister.