KINGSTON, Jamaica – The state-owned Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited (JBM) is to establish a multi-million dollar (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents) commercial and industrial park development project in Lydford, St. Ann, the largest parish in the country located on the north coast.
Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Audley Shaw (right), and State Minister, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson (center), are briefed by Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited’s (JBM) Managing Director, Donna Marie Howe (second right), on the multi-million dollar commercial and industrial park development project. (Photo courtesy of Okoye Henry/JIS)Transport and Mining Minister, Audley Shaw, told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) that the project scheduled to begin later this year, will feature, among other things, state-of-the art facilities designed to accommodate business process outsourcing (BPO), manufacturing, retail shops, and small and large warehouses.
“I’m very pleased about that, because it will create more jobs for the people in St Ann and adjoining areas,” Shaw said, welcoming the JBM’s “out of the box” approach.
“It is really outstanding and inspiring to see that although you’re still called the Jamaica Bauxite Mining Limited, you’re into other things; and that shows the need for creativity and diversification.”
JBM was incorporated on February 13, 1975. The company holds 51 per cent equity on behalf of the government of Jamaica in the bauxite operations of its current partners, New Day Aluminium (Jamaica) Limited.
JBM manages over 30 properties, having oversight of equipment, tooling and physical capital assets that are acquired and used to build, repair and maintain end item deliverables.
Shaw, who also visited the Lydford Mining Company in the parish, which extracts and processes high purity limestone products, said the aggregate material being produced is of a “high technological level”, noting that limestone is being processed into sand for commercial use.
“As you know, Jamaica has, probably, the largest area of limestone deposits in the entire region. So, it is something that we [the Government] have to look at as one of the alternatives going forward, even as we have seen some somewhat of a decline in the bauxite/alumina business. So limestone is definitely one of the areas that we have to promote, and do so more aggressively,” Shaw said.
