The Government of Jamaica (GOJ), through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining, will strengthen its commitment to the continued empowerment of communities near bauxite operations by increasing funding to the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP).

The BCDP has been active since 1996 and has facilitated the implementation of 400 projects in more than 300 communities at a cost of approximately $700 million. It is expected to receive a potential $400 million for Phase 8 of the programme, to be implemented between 2025 and 2028.

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining Floyd Green during his 2025/26 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 27) said about $200 million was expended on over 100 projects in Phase 7 of the BCDP, which benefitted communities in the bauxite-producing parishes of Manchester, Clarendon, St Elizabeth, St Catherine, and St Ann.

Of the 35 major infrastructure projects carried out under Phase 7, two were upgrades to the Alexandria Hospital and the Black River Hospital.

“We supported poultry farmers, we supported education, we supported roads,” Green pointed out.

“One of the big things that the Jamaica Bauxite Institute does is take former mined lands put greenhouse clusters on it so that agriculture can [thrive]. Seventy-five per cent of our greenhouse clusters that were damaged by [Hurricane] Beryl are now back in production,” he added.

Under Phase 8, $100 million will be earmarked for water supply improvement,  $70 million for investments in education, and $100 million for infrastructure development.

“We are already working on a water supply project under Operation Piped Water, which I announced last year, to bring water to 440 households and 2,000 residents in southern Manchester,” he outlined.

Minister Green emphasised that these initiatives under the BCDP will all play a significant role in ensuring sustainable growth in bauxite communities.