KINGSTON, Jamaica — Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby has intensified his appeal for the Jamaican Government to initiate formal discussions concerning two significant regulatory proposals: the reinstatement of a centralized permit system for entertainment events and the creation of a unified One Road Authority to oversee the nation’s road infrastructure management.
The call to action comes despite Works Minister Robert Morgan’s November 2025 announcement during an Incorporated Masterbuilders Association of Jamaica seminar that consultation processes with municipal corporations and stakeholders were being organized to establish the framework for the One Road Authority.
Addressing the monthly gathering of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) on Tuesday, Mayor Swaby revealed that no official communication from Minister Morgan had materialized since their public disagreement in January, when the minister characterized Swaby’s criticisms of the proposed authority as premature and misguided.
“Despite extensive public discourse regarding the One Road Authority concept, the KSAMC and fellow local authorities continue to await the promised meeting with Mr. Robert Morgan to examine this proposal,” Swaby stated. “We consider it imperative that the minister provide transparent clarification on this matter, ensuring meaningful consultation with local authorities remains central to these progressing discussions.”
Additionally, Mayor Swaby expressed his anticipation for dialogue with Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport Minister Olivia Grange regarding the proposed “One-stop shop” system. This initiative, reactivated last August, aims to streamline the permitting process for entertainment events through a centralized application platform that would distribute submissions to appropriate regulatory bodies.
While Minister Grange has promoted the program as a mechanism to boost operational efficiency within Jamaica’s entertainment and creative sectors while simplifying approval procedures for stakeholders, Swaby raised substantive concerns about its practical implementation. He emphasized the critical role municipal corporations play in event planning and public safety enforcement.
“Local authorities possess the optimal capacity to manage practical and logistical dimensions of these activities,” Swaby explained. “Our trained and experienced personnel conduct thorough inspections of event sites, including structural assessments of stages and temporary installations, to verify compliance with mandatory safety standards before permit issuance.”
The mayor further cautioned that inadequate planning and communication prior to program launch could potentially jeopardize event planners and attendees. He highlighted the specialized work of the Corporate Disaster Management Department in patron safeguarding and risk mitigation, which encompasses reviewing site layouts, evaluating emergency access routes, and establishing safety protocols for large public gatherings.
Swaby advocated for a governance model where central government maintains regulatory and policy-setting functions while local authorities retain service implementation responsibilities. “The KSAMC maintains that central government should concentrate on policy development, oversight, and strategic direction, while execution and daily service implementation should remain with local authorities, where work is most immediate to citizens and accountability is most direct,” he argued. “It is therefore vital that the operational role of local government is respected and reinforced, not replaced, particularly where public safety is directly implicated.”