Charging that the Government has abandoned rural development as a national priority, Opposition spokesman on rural and community development Dr Kenneth Russell on Wednesday proposed sweeping reforms, including a National Rural Development Framework and updated legislation to strengthen community development across Jamaica.

Speaking during his maiden Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives, the South East St Ann Member of Parliament argued that rural and community development have not been treated as central pillars of national policy, despite almost half of Jamaica’s population living in rural areas where poverty remains significantly higher.

He also questioned whether rural development exists as a philosophy of government or is meaningfully reflected in the country’s national development vision.