Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says this year, the Government will invest billions in water projects this year, to support the work of the island’s major water provider, the National Water Commission (NWC).

While Dr. Holness, did not disclose the exact expenditure, noting that the announcement would be made during his Budget Debate Presentation, he stated that the Government will “step up to the plate” and put “a lot of money” into water projects.  He added that the objective of the NWC is to increase coverage for potable water by expanding their utility footprint from 78% to 85%.

“Already the NWC has over J$7.3 billion under contract, meaning they have gone through project development, they have gone through procurement and now they have signed the contracts with the various contractors to execute. They are now waiting on the budget to be read and the warrant to be issued”, he explained.

Dr. Holness spoke last Friday (February 7, 2025), at the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of the Whitehall to Newmarket Water Supply Project in North West St. Elizabeth.

The Prime Minister further noted that the NWC already has J$2.9 billion worth of works in procurement, in addition to the $7.3 billion dollars.

Dr. Holness reiterated that under the Shared Prosperity to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme, approximately J$2.5 billion will be spent on water infrastructure and Rural Water Supply Limited will expend J$1 billion on small water projects across Jamaica

He said other Government Agencies would also be expending significant sums to improve the water infrastructure across the island.  They include the National Housing Trust, which will be spending close to J$1billion to improve the infrastructure of existing housing developments and the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) will set aside significant amounts for water projects in communities across Jamaica.

The $342 million While Hall to New Market Water Project will serve approximately 8,000 residents of Whitehall, Lewisville and Newmarket, who relied primarily on rainwater harvesting for many years, due to the lack of NWC infrastructure in the area.

Meanwhile, the Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Matthew Samuda, outlined the scope of work on the project.

“The project very simply will involve infrastructure work at the well in the community; installation of 2 major relift stations; installation of 3 major supply tanks; and some pipe works to connect the pipes done under the MIDP (Major Infrastructure Development Programme) between 2018 and 2020, with the installation of a further one and a half kilometers of six-inch pipes” the Minister explained.

Minister Samuda also took the opportunity to provide an update on the NWC Amnesty announced in November last year, noting that to date, over 1,300 customers who did not have water have now been reconnected.  This, he said, translated into a J$156 million write off.

The Minister added that a further 8,438 customers will be reconnected this month.

“With the other 8,000 plus customers that are awaiting, we are giving back to our citizens a further J$500 million plus. So, your government is investing to show that it cares. It is investing to ensure that when we turn on the pipes, there is water in them and this community of Newmarket cannot be left behind and we are happy to start the project today”, he ended.

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Work is scheduled to begin in the Corporate Area this week, under Work Order 1 of the  Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Robert Morgan, gave an update on the Programme in Parliament this afternoon (Tuesday, February 4, 2025).

“We have Everest Drive which started already. Then we’re going to have Bellevue Avenue in Kingston East and Port Royal.  In Kingston Western, we’re starting Bustamante Highway, (and) North Street from King Street to Crab Ground.  In St. Andrew East Rural we’re starting Passion Gardens and Bayview Retreat.  In St. Andrew Eastern, we’re doing Buttercup Drive, (and) Dougherty Drive. In St. Andrew North-Eastern, (we’re doing)  Liguanea Avenue and Richings Avenue;  St Andrew North-Central, Upper Aries and Orange Grove Road”, he stated.

He noted that Work Order 1 will be carried out at a cost of J$1.911 billion and will span 21 constituencies across eight (8) parishes, with a number of rehabilitation projects starting in several constituencies including the Corporate Area.

Minister Morgan said other roads to receive attention under Work Order 1 are located in South-Eastern, Eastern,  East-Central and South Central St. Catherine; North-West and Central Manchester; South-West, South East and North-East St. Elizabeth; Eastern and Western Portland; Central St. Mary; as well as Northern and Southern Trelawny, adding that  “we are actively assessing other additional roads to commence in the coming weeks”.

Work Order 2, he noted will cover 42 additional roads across 21 constituencies and is expected to commence in late February, while Work Order 3 which comprises another 42 roads across 21 additional constituencies, is scheduled to begin in early March.

The Minister stated that in this financial year, work will begin on about 126 critical roadways across Jamaica.

“At the end, all constituencies will get an initial two SPARK roads before the end of the financial year. We expect that by April we will start seeing the completion of our first set of SPARK roads with this tranche and we expect that these three work orders will be completed by June of this year”, he stated.

Minister Morgan stated that to ensure accountability and efficiency, the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation will strictly oversee project timelines, contractor performance and quality standards.

He encouraged Members of Parliament and local stakeholders to remain engaged in the monitoring process to ensure that all communities benefit fully from this initiative.

“This is the next chapter of Jamaica’s development. With the SPARK Programme, we are not just fixing roads. We are building pathways of opportunity. This initiative is an investment in the future of our citizens and a demonstration of the Government’s unwavering commitment to national development”, he ended.

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The water woes of 3,500 residents of Hampshire and Riversdale in North East St. Catherine, will soon be relegated to the past, following the groundbreaking for Phase 1 of the J$330 million Hampshire/Riversdale Water Supply Project.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Matthew Samuda, who addressed the groundbreaking ceremony in Riversdale yesterday (January 29, 2025),  noted that J$60 million will be expended on Phase 1,  which is expected to last four months.

“This is a clear signal to you… that work begins now, and we are sequencing our work to ensure that there is no break between the particular phases”, he said.

The water supply to the community had been unreliable for several years as the former source had dried up.  A new source, the Hamwalk/Redwood  Water Supply System will be used to supply Riversdale/Hampshire, and a separate pipeline will be run from that source to interconnect with the existing pipeline into the community.

The project will include the installation of a galvanized iron and PVC transmission pipeline; a PVC distribution pipeline; a 30,000-gallon reinforced concrete sump; a 100,000-gallon bolted steel storage tank and the installation of a solar (two-way power hybrid) pumping system.

In the meantime, Minister Samuda highlighted other investments to be made in the water sector.

“Rural Water will be expending close to J$ 1 billion a year for the next three years, on small rural water systems in order to connect residents in these areas who are outside of the utility footprint.  Rural Water, this calendar year, will commence the long-awaited Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) project which will see an unprecedented J$6 billion invested into 5 major rural water systems”, he stated.

The National Works Agency, he said, is also investing J$5 billion in partnership with the National Water Commission (NWC), to relay water pipes in effecting the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Programme.  Meanwhile, the National Housing Trust (NHT) will be investing several billion dollars into the water and other infrastructure networks of several of the older communities in Jamaica, while the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, over the next three years, will invest more than J$3 billion in water systems.

Turning to the NWC, Minister Samuda said the primary water provider is midway through J$4 billion of investments and this year, will undertake two of the largest investments in the country’s history namely, the US$92 million Rio Cobre Water System which will benefit citizens from Spanish Town to Kingston and St. Andrew,  as well as the Western Water Resilience Programme.

“We expect to invest some J$15 billion over the next 18 months in that major pipeline from Martha Brae all the way to St. James, and from the Great River all the way to Western Westmoreland and all the communities along that main will benefit”

Minister Samuda indicated that all of the projects are fully funded, without debt being incurred by the country.

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Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has announced that the Government will be allocating J$315 million, to assist the most vulnerable householders across the island,  who were impacted by heavy rainfall between July and December 2024 and who are unable to undertake repairs to their homes by themselves.

“Despite distributing almost 14,000 Hurricane Beryl Recovery Grants, we know that there are many households across Jamaica that were also impacted by the heavy rainfall, due to the unusual weather patterns between July and December. The Government will be allocating J$315 million, or J$5 million per constituency, to assist the most vulnerable cases in communities across Jamaica”.

The Prime Minister, while speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (January 28, 2025), said “While the amounts to be recommended for each beneficiary are at the discretion of the Members of Parliament, the grants will be in the range of $70,000 to $100,000.   This he added, would allow householders to make meaningful improvements to roofs, windows and side boarding and would ensure that more Jamaican shelters can withstand the next heavy rainfall, tropical depression or hurricane”.

He further noted that persons who are already beneficiaries of the Hurricane Relief Grant will not be able to benefit from this allocation, adding that checks will be made to ensure that there are no duplications of allocations across the programmes.

Prime Minister Holness further noted that where challenges exist in identifying registered hardware stores to provide the goods needed for repairs, that are close to the household in need, the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) through its National Spatial Data Management Branch (NSDMB) has mapped every registered hardware and haberdashery across the island from which to select.

“This comprehensive map,  will not only provide Members of Parliament with a complete list of all the hardware stores in their constituency,  but the data has also been spatially represented so you can see where the hardware store is, relative to the area of need. This will ensure that materials can be sourced locally, reducing transportation costs and improving the efficiency of the programme”, he expounded.

The Prime Minister said another challenge is that of insufficient staffing, which slows down the approval of grants, as each grant has to be specifically assessed, which requires the deployment of several persons to examine structures.

“We will be leveraging the Assessment Staff of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), the Urban Renewal Programme and the other Units in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation to assist in the assessment process. We will not be able to assess every beneficiary and so what we will be doing is using representative samples and risk analysis to ensure that we can, very quickly disburse the benefits”.

Dr. Holness urged all Members of Parliament to work closely with their constituents to identify those households that are most in need of assistance, adding that “It is crucial that this programme is effective and impactful in ensuring the long-term resilience of our shelters, particularly roofs”.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, the Hon. Matthew Samuda, MP announced today in Parliament the historic appointment of Professor Dale Finster St. George Webber as Jamaica’s first special envoy for Climate Change, Environment, Ocean, and Blue Economy.

This pioneering role reflects Jamaica’s commitment to addressing the global challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, and sustainable development. Professor Webber, an esteemed marine biologist, conservationist, and climate change advocate, will serve as an Ambassador in this capacity, reporting directly to the Most Honourable Prime Minister while working closely with the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

Prime Minister Holness and Minister of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness expressed his commendations to Professor Webber in Parliament.

“I wish to add my commendations to Professor Webber, he has done a great deal of work in the field of climate, and it was a very easy decision for me and the Minister responsible for climate change to make the appointment. We are confident that he will represent Jamaica well in the many climate fora that are conveyed around the world and particularly at this time”, said the Prime Minister.

Minister Samuda emphasised the importance of this appointment, citing the critical need for Jamaica to enhance its representation in international negotiations and agreements. “The challenges of our time—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution—demand high-level participation and collaboration on the global stage. This appointment signals Jamaica’s resolve to lead and act decisively in these areas”, he said.

Professor Webber’s expertise in Coastal and Environmental Management and his distinguished career in academia and public service, including his tenure as Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, make him exceptionally suited for this role.

In his new role, Professor Webber will engage in international dialogues and technical negotiations, ensuring that Jamaica’s interests remain at the forefront of global environmental policy and action. According to his Terms of Reference, his role will include:

• Clear identification of leads on projects or programmes representing sound prospects for advancing Jamaica’s economic growth, environmental sustainability and job creation agenda; and
• Provision of specific proposals with supporting documentation, as will permit the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, to assess the feasibility of proposed projects or programmes.

Minister Samuda concluded by urging bipartisan support for this significant appointment, noting its importance for Jamaica’s future resilience and sustainability.

The House of Representatives has approved amendments to the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) Act and the Wild Life Protection Act (WLPA), to allow for significant increases in fines and related custodial sentences.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Matthew Samuda, who piloted the Bill through Parliament on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, noted that the Amendments were necessary due to the increase in environmental crimes in Jamaica.

He attributed this increase to the low levels of penalties for offences under the NRCA Act and the WLPA, adding that “the level of the fines under these two pieces of legislation currently does not act as a deterrent to non-compliance”.

Minister Samuda noted that the NRCA Act had never been amended since its promulgation in 1991, while the fines under the WLPA were last updated in 1998 to a maximum of $100,000 for offences under the Act and $40,000 for persons found in breach of the Act.

Under the draft Bills, depending on the severity of the offence as adjudicated by the Supreme Court, Corporate Bodies may now be subject to a fine of approximately J$10 million, individuals in breach of the Acts may face a fine of up to J$5 million or serve a term of imprisonment up to five years, subject to the jurisdiction of the Parish Courts.

Minister Samuda further stated that the imposition of criminal sanctions is one element of the regulatory tool kit used to foster compliance, adding that “to be effective and efficient, imposition of criminal sanctions must be coupled with an increase in enforcement action by NEPA (National Environment and Planning Agency), including the identification and apprehension of offenders in a timely manner”.

The Minister explained that in response to the inadequacy of the existing penalties under the NRCA Act and the WLPA, NEPA has instituted several cooperative intervention measures to bolster its monitoring and enforcement regime to foster a culture of compliance with environmental laws.

These measures, he said, included the development of a Special Monitoring List, based on specific criteria, which involves those facilities/developments that require more stringent monitoring; the establishment of several inter-agency partnerships, such as the Inter-agency Regulatory Monitoring and Review Committee for the Bauxite/Alumina industry; and the expansion of the Agency’s monitoring activities through the conduct of its environmental wardens on the ground.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in his 2024/25 Budget Presentation, indicated that the penalties under the NRCA Act and the WLPA would be increased.

The Amendments, which were tabled in Parliament on December 10, 2024, are part of the measures the Government is taking under its justice reform agenda.

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Preliminary figures show that approximately 2000 persons, or just over 600 per day,  have applied for the National Water Commission’s Amnesty since it came into effect under three working days ago, on January 2, 2025.

This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio, in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Matthew Samuda, during an interview on Nationwide News Network this morning (January 7, 2024).

Minister Samuda, who has responsibility for the water portfolio, told the hosts of “Nationwide This Morning’ George Davis, and Tauna Thomas, that a better idea of the numbers will be obtained later this week.

“We will be able to have a better view of the breakdown in numbers towards the end of the week.  As it is still in its preliminary stages, we are working through, as with any programme the teething pains to make sure that it is smooth”, he noted.

Minister Samuda reiterated that persons wishing to take advantage of the amnesty, have been asked to call the NWC’s dedicated helplines to make appointments to prevent an influx of persons at the Agency’s offices.

“Thus far we are seeing persons calling and making their appointments. There are those that obviously want deeper cuts than the programme allows, so you do have some negotiations and some conversations that are taking longer.  We are working through the issues. We are assessing whether it will become necessary to look at opening for this programme on Saturdays if it creates too much pressure in-branch for any of the spaces”, he said.

The Minister further noted that the NWC is also looking at doing some community interventions for persons who are remotely located from the NWC’s offices, adding that the data received towards the end of the week will be critical to ascertaining the necessary interventions.

Minister Samuda said in all, it is expected that the Amnesty will benefit 150,000 persons by bringing those who have been disconnected back into the formal system as paying customers.

Under the Amnesty which will last up to March 31, 2025, pensioners who have been disconnected for two years, and are assessed as being in need based on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) beneficiary identification standards, will have their debt written off and reconnection fees waived.

The Amnesty will also benefit persons trying to transfer land Titles and customers who have been disconnected for longer than six months.

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Residents of the Northern Trelawny community of Spicy Hill received an early Christmas gift today (December 17, 2024), with the commissioning of newly installed pipelines to serve the growing population.

Minister without Portfolio, Hon. Matthew Samuda, who has oversight for the Water Portfolio, described the occasion as momentous.

“It is a momentous occasion because it represents the Government moving one step closer to fulfilling its commitment under the UN SDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals), which aim to provide potable water and sanitation to all citizens by 2030. This is an investment of over J$30 million by the National Water Commission into the community of Spicy Hill and to the 1200 plus residents”, he stated.

Minister Samuda commended the NWC for bringing in the project on time and within budget.  He added that the regularisation initiative for Spicy Hill marks a crucial advancement in securing formal water access for the residents while addressing the challenges associated with the community’s unregistered status.

Although the supply to the area in which the Ettingdon Well served was fairly adequate, many residents of Spicy Hill are unregistered.  This resulted in several challenges including large areas being underserved due to unknown demand levels because of unplanned growth in the area, and water losses due to unreported leaks and poor connections.

The new pipeline spans 2.5 kilometres and comprises 1.3 kilometres of 2-inch galvanised pipeline; 600 metres of 1-inch galvanised pipeline; 600 meters of 2-inch PVC pipeline as well as service laterals.

The new pipelines will formally integrate more households into the NWC’s water supply system, thereby addressing the challenges of underserved areas and enabling better water management.

Minister Samuda urged the residents to take advantage of the offer of a 50 per cent reduction on their first bill and encouraged them to reach out to others about the recently announced amnesty being given to customers of the NWC for legacy water bills.

“We are going to be able to provide up to J$30 billions of relief to citizens so it’s nothing to scoff at.  It’s a major investment in your care, in your comfort and in your way of life for those who are suffering.  I encourage you to reach out to your friends, family and business associates, to remind them to come in so that we can help them to clean up their household accounts, while we clean up our books as well.  It’s an effort at returning dignity, it’s an effort at returning comfort to over 100,000 citizens that have the opportunity to benefit”, he explained.

Minister Samuda encouraged persons to call the NWC hotlines and set up meeting times so that the Agency can better accommodate the flow of citizens to its offices.

 

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