Lester ‘Mike’ Henry, Transport and Mining Minister of Jamaica said on Sunday at Lydford in St Ann, that he expects a jump in the country’s bauxite and minerals sector. The growth, according to him, was due to the policy shift towards profit sharing in downstream operations and maximizing the use of the “world’s finest quality limestone”. Henry was speaking at a weekend retreat with the technocrats in his ministry.
Henry stated that if production of the resources could rise to over 340,000 tonnes annually then Jamaica could expect a higher inflow of foreign exchange.
The minister said that he would set guidelines for the development of measures that will allow the domestic bauxite and minerals sectors to grow. This will also help in creating employment opportunity in the bauxite and minerals sectors.
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The minister also expressed his worries on insufficient production of calcium hydroxide or “white lime”, most of which Jamaica imports for use in the production of bauxite. He also spoke about under-utilisation of the minerals industry, which remains a cause concern for the economy.
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