Green impressed with growth in mining

THE MINING subsector was a major contributor to economic growth in 2023, with the minerals industry recording a 120 per cent growth over the previous year, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green told journalists during a recent press conference at the ministry’s Hope Gardens head office in St Andrew.

“We had a great year in mining, despite significant external challenges,” he declared, adding that total bauxite production rose by 37.19 per cent, reaching 2,081,504 tonnes shipped, most of it to the United States. Mining has historically driven community development, offering job opportunities and economic progress for families, according to Green.

He pointed out that the Jamaican economy expanded by 2.3 per cent, marking 10 consecutive quarters of growth, driven by ‘Services’ and ‘Goods Producing Industries’.

“The ‘Goods Producing Industries’ saw increased output levels in ‘Mining & Quarrying’, which surged by 103.1 per cent. Importantly, half of the country’s growth is as a result of the mining sector,” the minister declared.

IMPORTANCE OF POST-BAUXITE ACTIVITIES

He went on to acknowledge the importance of post-bauxite activities being implemented to support affected communities. These include mined-out lands being repurposed for farming, including the transformation of pits into vital water storage facilities to support farming clusters amid climate change challenges.

Under the Bauxite Community Development Programme, the Jamaica Bauxite Institute spent more than 90 per cent of the $55,525,160 allocated to projects in Kingston, Manchester, St Ann, St Catherine, and St Elizabeth, including $5 million for scholarships at CASE. Additionally, $3.8 million went to special contributions and donations to community-based organisations. According to Green, addressing land titling and settlement matters remains a priority for the ministry with a total of 159 titles issued last year, with an additional 146 titles in the process of being transferred to resettled persons:

“As of December 2023, the bauxite and alumina companies have delivered a total of 1,679 certificates of title, accounting for approximately 53 per cent of the 3,169 titles that remain outstanding.”