Parish Councils

Jamaica is governed by a legislature which is a bicameral parliament consisting of a House of Representatives with 60 members, and a Senate with 21 members.

A second tier of governance is the local authorities. This local government system is divided into 14 parishes, with two parishes, Kingston and St Andrew, amalgamated and administered by the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC). Local affairs are administered by individual Parish Councils whose members are elected. Some of the functions that are the responsibility of Parish Councils are: Public Health; Public Markets; Fire Services; and Water Supplies, abattoirs, building regulations, public beaches, street lighting, sanitation and public cleansing.

The JSIF has always had a very collaborative relationship with the Parish Councils across Jamaica. Before certain parochial roads or community water supply systems projects are approved for funding the JSIF ensures that the Parish Council has no objection to the Fund undertaking the project. JSIF also gets the commitment from the Parish Council that it would take responsibility for the long-term maintenance and upkeep of the project after completion. In addition the Parish Councils assists the Fund, in some cases, by providing technical assistance and information about communities for projects being undertaken in their area.

The JSIF currently has signed Memoranda of Understanding with several Parish Councils under the Inner City Basic Services Project (ICBSP). The twelve inner city communities involved in this project are located in the four parishes which have signed the MOU in 2006. The Parish Councils involved are: 

  • Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation

  • The St. Catherine Parish Council

  • The St. James Parish Council

  • Clarendon Parish Council