Samuda blasts critics of Gov’t’s frequent ribbon-cutting ceremonies… Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), Senator Matthew Samuda, has hit back strongly at critics who have made snide remarks about the frequent cutting of ribbons at ceremonies by the Government.

There has been much criticisms, especially from supporters of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), that such ceremonies, including the presentation of houses under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP), are being used by Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his Administration as a distraction from the state of the nation’s economy.

However, Holness has used such handing-over ceremonies to lash such critics by pointing to the economic growth the island is experiencing even amid inflation and rising food and energy prices both locally and internationally.

In commenting on the criticisms at the commissioning of a water supply project in Negril, Westmoreland on Thursday, Samuda argued that a ribbon-cutting is symbolic of the completion of a multi-million dollar investment made by the Government or any other investor.

“This is yet another ceremony that has almost been religiously scheduled on a Thursday as our project and… we have called it ‘Turn on the Pipe Thursdays’, but generally, we have been on the road every single Thursday commissioning water systems,” he explained.

“Now that speaks to the amount of work that has gone into creating the volume of systems and to building the amount of new pumping stations and connecting and replacing old pipes, to have several Thursdays of work to do,” the minister continued.

“I have heard a recent criticism in the press which I found very strange. I’ve followed politics all my life through the news, and I’ve never heard in all my life someone being criticised for cutting ribbons,” Samuda lamented.

He described the criticisms as being “very strange”, as the process to bring such developments as the water system project to a reality in Westmoreland started in 2004.

“A ribbon is a representation of the closure or the completion of thousands of man hours. In many cases, hundreds of millions and sometimes billions of dollars in investment,” he shared.

Samuda, in responding directly critics of the Government’s efforts, said more ribbon-cutting ceremonies are on the horizon.

“So, when a Government is cutting ribbons, is breaking ground, commissioning projects, it is because that Government is working hard!

“So, I can’t understand where this criticisms could come from for cutting ribbons. I want to put on record this afternoon that we will be cutting a lot more ribbons,” he assured.

The minister also promised further ribbon-cutting ceremonies for projects in the Western Westmoreland constituency where the Jamaica Labour Party’s Moreland Wilson is the Member of Parliament (MP).

“… And MP you have my commitment that while I have my hands on the baton, you can expect more ground-breaking, more ribbon cuttings, and more commissioning within your constituency,” declared Samuda.

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