Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says good enterprise-level contractors are needed to aid the efforts of the government to plug the housing deficit.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Galina Housing Development in St. Mary on Friday, Dr. Holness said the government will be increasing the capital budget to bring more projects on stream.

He urged local contractors to be ready to invest in projects, noting that the old way of taking years to deliver a house will not work.

Dr. Holness said the government needs local contractors who are able to take on 10 thousand houses at a time to make an impact on the housing needs of Jamaicans. 

The Prime Minister said the National Housing Trust (NHT) is coordinating efforts to fix the 150,000 housing deficit.

He said the NHT is responsible for 41,000 houses with over 11,000 already under construction.