I wish to again commend Minister McKenzie, on the introduction of Operation CALM (Cleaning, Advising, Leveraging and Maintaining), an initiative aimed at strengthening community resilience, promoting environmental stewardship, and improving the management of public spaces.

The principles underpinning Operation CALM closely mirror the objectives of the KSAMC's Cleaner Kingston Initiative. Both programmes recognize that cleaner, safer, and more orderly communities require more than periodic clean-up activities; they require sustained engagement, public education, enforcement, and ongoing maintenance. By combining these elements, local authorities can achieve more lasting improvements insanitation, public order, aesthetics, and community well-being.

The KSAMC has sought to adopt asimilar approach through interventions in the downtown market district and other areas of the municipality, where efforts have focused not only on improving the physical environment but also on fostering greater compliance, enhancing public safety, and creating conditions that support economic activity and community pride.

I believe that the concepts embodied in Operation CALM have significant potential for adoption across all Municipal Corporations. A coordinated framework that integrates cleaning, public education, stakeholder engagement, enforcement, and maintenance could assist local authorities in addressing a range of challenges, including illegal dumping, roadside garages, poor environmental practices, disorderly public spaces, and community resilience. Such an approach would help to create cleaner, more attractive, and more sustainable communities throughout Jamaica.

I therefore commend Minister McKenzie for this initiative and look forward to opportunities for collaboration and the sharing of best practices as local authorities continue to advance the transformation of our towns, cities, and communities.

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