Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Matthew Samuda, MP on Friday, November 29, engaged in a Signing Ceremony with BREDS Treasure Beach Foundation for the loan of two generators valued at J$24 million to facilities owned by the National Water Commission (NWC) in St. Elizabeth.
A 500 KVA Generator for the Newell facility and a 350 KVA Generator for the Little Park facility were provided through this public/private disaster response collaboration. Approximately 3,000 residents benefit from this partnership in Newell, Beacon, Bluntas, Billy’s Bay, Great Bay, Old Wharf, Calabash Bay, Pedro Beach, Little Park, and Sandy Bank communities.
“I recall the days after Hurricane Beryl when we were trying to coordinate, not just generators, but trucking to critical institutions, hospitals, health centres, homes of the elderly, and not knowing which road was open for trucks to go, and there is nothing more inefficient than trucking of water. It is why I can assure all of you here today, those who have contributed, that the team at the NWC worked around the clock trying to find solutions”, Minister Samuda recalled.
To alleviate some of these issues, Minister Samuda announced that $750 million will be invested to procure generators for some of the critical facilities island-wide next year.
“The Government, next year, will invest some $750 million, as a start, into generators for some of our critical facilities, Island-wide. These facilities are being determined based on two factors, facilities that supply hospitals, and facilities that ensure the NWC earns for the month when there’s a particular issue. This must be based on the number of persons supplied by a particular system and the lines where you have hospitals. It is good that we have started, but it is also good that private sector, NGOs, local and foreign investors, have stepped up to help us to build resilience”, he said.
This partnership was borne from the stewardship of the BREDS Foundation which rallied other donors to assist the communities in St. Elizabeth that were hardest hit by Hurricane Beryl passage in July.
With the damage to JPS systems delaying the restoration of power, the purchase and installation of these generators were crucial in enabling the NWC pumps to resume water distribution for essential activities such as cleaning, bathing, and cooking.
Member of Parliament for St. Elizabeth South Western, Hon. Floyd Green, thanked the partners for their timely assistance with providing the generators.
“The fundamental cry that came right after Hurricane Beryl was that we need water…as such, I was very happy that Minister Samuda was leading the response effort with the NWC team to ensure that we had a generator up and running in Luana, which serves our only hospital. So, it was good that the partnership brought not one but two generators because the opportunity that comes in a crisis is not just to build back, but it is really to build back better than before. We are way more resilient now and I want us to congratulate the Ministry and the NWC for making that possible”, MP Green said.
The details of the MoU include:
- Installation of a structure – building or infrastructure over the generators to provide shelter and protection;
- Implementation and adherence to a maintenance schedule for optimum operations and longevity; and
- Installation of a Transfer Switch Mechanism – ideally automatic for initiating back-up after public power supply outages.
Other donors include the Global Empowerment Mission, NCB Foundation, American Friends of Jamaica, Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Tourism Enhancement Fund, and MYCO Meditation.
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