Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, yesterday (July 20, 2023) announced that three water projects completed in the constituency of South East Clarendon have received an investment of over $200 million from the Government.

He made this announcement at the Commissioning of the Portland Cottage Water Supply Project in Clarendon.

“Earlier we had a Ribbon cutting ceremony and tour of Mineral Heights Tank System, we had another one for Salt River, a community that has never had running potable water in its history, and Portland Cottage system has recently been upgraded,” Minister Samuda explained.

The Portland Cottage system supplies 5,000 residents with water on a daily basis and was completed at a cost of $117 million.

The Salt River Water Supply Scheme was completed at a cost of $34 million and now provides water daily to approximately 2,500 residents.

Meanwhile, the Mineral Heights Tank System was completed at a cost of $22 million and provides water to Mineral Heights Housing Scheme, Curatoe Hill, and Halse Hall communities.

For his part, MP for Southeast Clarendon, Pearnel Charles Jr., affirmed that his constituency will be the model community for Jamaica.

“The Government is committed to ensuring that step by step we develop our space and our country for the better. Because we have now laid the pipes and completed water, we can start fixing the roads,” MP Charles said.

The Mineral Heights Project involved a 300,000 gallons tank being connected with a 50,000-gallon tank, and the Portland Cottage Upgrading Project was completed in two phases and also connects to the Shearer’s Heights and Rocky Point Systems.

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The National Water Commission was instructed to undertake an urgent replacement of the collapsed sewage mains in Downtown Kingston, at a cost of approximately J$ 170 million.

This announcement was made by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Matthew Samuda, yesterday during a visit to the affected areas.

“The Government continues to champion the revitalization programme for downtown Kingston for residents. This programme consists of public and private efforts and under our mandate, it is moving ahead steadily,” Minister Samuda said.

The Minister outlined that the aged asbestos pipes, which form a part of the NWC’s system, have outlived their usefulness. He said this could lead to dire public health issues.

Minister Samuda said, “I have briefed Prime Minister Holness, and he’s instructed that we do everything within our capacity to alleviate the discomfort and unsanitary situation being experienced in the area”.

The $170 million along with another $37 million investment to be made into new pumps at the Darlin Street lift station, which are being installed within 7 days, is expected to significantly improve the situation in the Market District.

Remediation works will also be done along the following streets: Pechon Street, West Street, Matthews Lane, Water Lane and Barry Street.

Minister Samuda ended, “We understand the plight of those who both live and conduct business in the area, and we are doing everything within our power to address the issue in the shortest possible time”.

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The Meteorological Service of Jamaica, yesterday, (July 19) launched Jamaica’s first official Weather Application, Jamaica Weather.

The Weather App will improve the Meteorological Service’s capacity to effectively communicate short and medium-range forecasts in a more easily understood format to its various stakeholders enabling them to take necessary action.

Speaking at the launch event, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, stated that the App is critical to Jamaica and the country’s ability to plan.

“It will allow us to plan. It will allow us to make decisions that will guide our daily lives and that is incredibly important. It is one of the investments that have been made into building this predictability, into building this stability that will help us in making decisions…Climate Change is real and the basis of how we are going to plan for and adapt to the changing climate is indeed going to be based on the scientific assessment of what is likely to happen and the constant monitoring of changes in our weather patterns.”

Minister Samuda added that the government will be undertaking similar projects to develop the country’s capacity for analysis.

“The Met Service has other items that need to be digitized that need to flow into the appropriate sources that give us up-to-the-minute, up-to-the-second, information that will allow us to make decisions that will sometimes save lives. But it’s not the only element of government that we will be upgrading significantly. I want to put the country on notice that we will also be investing significantly and engaging partners to develop innovations like the one that is here”.

The Application, a deliverable under the Building Resilience Through Climate Adaptation Technologies, BReTCAT, seeks to adapt the latest weather service technology currently being used in developed meteorological organizations to the Jamaican environment with the inputs of the user communities.

BReTCAT was initiated through the partnership of Resurgence, a social enterprise based in the United Kingdom, and the Jamaica-based Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre (CCIC).

The Application is available on both the Apple and the Google Play Stores. Key features of Jamaica Weather include local weather forecasts, Hour-by-hour forecasts, forecast views, severe weather warnings, customizable forecasts, and sunset and sunset times.

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Minister with responsibility for Water in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the investment of $770 Million to undertake major infrastructure work in St. Andrew by the National Water Commission will increase the utility’s footprint in the metropolitan area.

Minister Samuda who toured the $320 million Mona Sewer Expansion Project in Eastern St. Andrew, as well as the $450 million Waltham Park/Whitfield Town Water Supply Project in East Central St. Andrew, yesterday (June 22, 2023) says the National Water Commission (NWC) is deploying capital at a faster rate, in a bid to increase the utility’s footprint across the island.

‘We are deploying capital at a faster rate than ever before from the NWC. Last year was four billion dollars in infrastructure projects. This year we will be deploying some seven billion dollars” Minister Samuda noted while touring the Mona Sewer Project.

Minister Samuda explained that the project was undertaken as part of the NWC’s strategic goal to expand its sewerage coverage to 30% by the year 2030.   He added that with several households in the Mona area being dependent on individual soak-away systems, there was a significant strain on the natural environment.

“The way we’ve developed with backyard pits is not the best way for us, and we’re playing catch up in many ways…This project is indeed critical to the environmental health of the water table in Kingston 6 and Kingston 8 and is a part of much more work to come”, the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Minister Samuda says the upgrade to the water distribution system in the Waltham Park/Whitfield Town area is necessary as the community’s infrastructure had suffered from chronic under-investment over the past few decades and had passed its useful life.

“Much of it (the distribution network) was collapsing, and beyond that, it was no longer sufficient in terms of its size and carrying capacity, for the growth that we have seen in the community”.

Minister Samuda added that the work being undertaken is not the only “fix” that would be required.

“We do know that we are in a drought, so although the new piping is there, there is a regulated supply in the space. This will come to an end when we have completed our project at Content in St. Catherine, which is the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant that will bring in some fifteen and a half million gallons daily into Kingston and St. Andrew.  Our current shortfall in the worst of the drought is approximately 7 million gallons, so that should give you an idea of the significant upgrade and the significant improvement that will be there for the citizens of Kingston and St Andrew and indeed Portmore”.

Approximately 20-thousand customers in the Waltham Park/Whitfield Town area will benefit from the upgraded water distribution network, while some 1800 households in Mona Heights will benefit from the Mona Sewer Expansion Project.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Hon. Clifford Warmington, broke ground today (June 15, 2023) for the $119 million rehabilitation of the Natural Bridge to Troja Road Rehabilitation Project in North Eastern St. Catherine.

“The significance of this project cannot be overstated, as it will form part of a larger transformation which will have cascading effects on our economy, stimulate growth in various sectors as well as create countless employment opportunities”, expressed Minister Warmington.

The 10-kilometer stretch of road which serves several communities, is being rehabilitated under the National Works Agency’s Maintenance of Secondary Roads Programme.

“The overall scope of works includes installation of pipe culverts, construction of parapet walls, bushing and trimming of banks as well as the reshaping and asphalting of the worst affected sections of the roadway.  We are also undertaking the construction of seven (7) retaining walls and six (6) Fords under this contract. At the end of the contract period, which is slated to last for eight months, seven of the 10 kilometers stretch will be fully rehabilitated”, Minister Warmington explained.

The Minister added that the remaining three kilometers also need attention, considering the heavy rains experienced in the last two weeks.

“I spoke to the parish manager who I asked to prepare a scope of work, so from the section below Harewood to the Yellow Bridge, that section will be addressed along with this current contract.  Also, from the Yellow Bridge going to Riversdale, there are some very bad conditions there, and those also will be addressed. So, the entire section from Natural Bridge to Troja and from the Yellow Bridge to Riversdale will also be included or addressed while this work is being done”.

Noting that roads are the lifelines of the nation, Minister Warmington said the rehabilitated new Bridge to Troja Road forms part of the government’s comprehensive plan to create a road network that is efficient, safe and environmentally friendly.

“This $119 million road rehabilitation project symbolizes our commitment to sustainable development and our unwavering dedication to improving the lives of our citizens. We understand the frustration caused by dilapidated roads, traffic congestion, and the hindrances they pose to economic development. Therefore, we have formulated an inclusive and ambitious plan to address these challenges head-on”.

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Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, has called for integration and coordination among Caribbean countries and Mexico in tackling the issue of sargassum bloom which affects many countries of the region.

“The biggest opportunity that has come up to tackle this problem is the opportunity for integration and coordination…Even though many of us are proceeding and investing in our academic capacity to do the research in terms of usage and best practices for handling this material, the real opportunity is going to come from our coordination.  Coordination on early warning systems, coordination in data systems”, stated Minister Samuda.

Minister Samuda was participating in a panel discussion at the second session of the Greater Caribbean – EU Regional Conference on Sargassum, today (June 15, 2023), in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Pointing to the massive costs associated with the removal, storage, and processing of sargassum bloom, Minister Samuda asserted that the countries of the region must look at the mechanisms for finance.

“The amount is one issue. GCF generally tries to fund climate additionality, but this is now a major impact.  We are going to have to target the Adaptation Fund as a region with a very detailed, well-thought-out proposal to get them behind us.  We don’t have a lot of time.  The reality is…the 2030 impact is likely to be way worse than the current impact”, the Minister declared.

Minister Samuda noted that although Jamaica had not experienced the level of sargassum as its neighbours in the region, the northeastern and south-central parts of the island had been affected the worst.

“Where we’ve had the greatest impact has actually been in our fisheries sector, so we continue to explore the varying mechanisms for early detection and for supporting our fishers.  We’ve had to give social support where they’ve had reduced fishing, but we have not engaged in mass harvesting or wide-scale harvesting of the sargassum” the Minister explained.

He added that with warming ocean temperatures and with particular (ocean) currents, within the next two to three years Jamaica could experience sargassum bloom on the level of other countries in the region.  As such, the country is looking at the commercial scale opportunities that will create the economic ability to remove sargassum.

The Greater Caribbean – EU Regional Conference on Sargassum brings together, the authorities that manage the coastlines of the Caribbean basin and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the scientific and private communities, non-governmental organizations, and actors involved in research, monitoring, prevention, containment, use, treatment, recovery, and disposal of sargassum biomass.

Sargassum is a brown marine alga that is generally found in the Sargasso Sea of the Atlantic Ocean; it is a free-floating seaweed that does not attach to the ocean floor and its movements depend solely on ocean currents.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Clifford E. Warmington, broke ground yesterday (June 8, 2023) for phase one of the Jackson Town to Ulster Spring Road Upgrading Project in Southern Trelawny.

Minister Warmington says this is in response to a tour he conducted of the area in 2022.

“As a result of that tour, an allocation for Phase One of J$205,234,030 was made available to commence rehabilitation of the Jackson Town to Ulster Spring stretch of road because it is vital to social economic activities”, stated Minister Warmington.

He says the road was in very poor condition and in need of rehabilitation work, hence the allocation.

“Phase one of the project will be carried out along the control section with starting point at the Jackson Town Post Office, and ending at the Sawyers Primary School which is 5.2 kilometers south. The scope of works will include demolition and site clearance, drain cleaning, drainage construction pavement works, construction of retaining walls, road marking, and the installation of guard rails as well as kerb and channel”, explained Minister Warmington.

Minister Warmington explained that the roadway is a main thoroughfare for the western end of the country into Manchester from Montego Bay via Trelawny and is the main vein utilized by emergency vehicles seeking to access the Falmouth Hospital from surrounding districts.

The Minister disclosed that Phase Two of the road rehabilitation project which is estimated to cost J$224. 7 million, had already gone through the tender process.

Minister Warmington noted that other projects slated to commence in the parish shortly include Stewart Town to Rock at a cost of J$27 million; Stettin to Highgate Hall for J$53.7 million; Clarks Town to Jackson Town for J$37.2 million; Albert Town to Troy for J$14.5 million and Dixon Street at a cost of J$26.6 million dollars.

Minister Warmington gave the assurance that all projects will be completed in this financial year.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, today (June 8, 2023) commissioned the Padmore and Sterling Castle Pipeline Replacement Projects in West Rural St. Andrew.

Approximately 900 residents will benefit from the pipe replacement and upgrading works on both projects.

Minister Samuda says the one-inch main line, in Padmore, was upgraded to a four-inch supply pipeline at a cost of $26 million.

“This upgrade was necessary as the one-inch main line at Padmore, which is supplied by the Barnettwood system, was inadequate to serve the growing population in the community.  As such, the decision was taken to install some 1.6 kilometers of four-inch supply pipeline” Minister Samuda noted.

In Sterling Castle, the $9 million pipe upgrading was undertaken to increase revenue collection and lessen losses. It involved the laying of approximately 90 lengths of 4-inch PVC pipeline; the installation of metered connections for non-registered customers and civil repair works as well as valve repairs and/or replacement.

For many years, customers along Sterling Castle Heights Road, which is served from the Forest Hill Deep Well, via the Brentwood Relift Station, received water by means of informal connections. This often resulted in significant wastage of water and losses in revenue collection.

“The expense of leaking water mains and aging pipes was significant and led to significant losses which impacted on the reliability and quality of the water being distributed. The upgrading of the piping infrastructure will result in approximately 100 new supplies being formally connected, whilst also anticipating future housing development in the area”, the Minister stated.

Customers who have been regularized, are now served a minimum of three days per week and enjoy supply from formally metered connections.  The project will also eliminate the costs of trucking water to the service area, improve storage capacity and enhance operational resilience while mitigating losses.

“The targeted programme of works being undertaken in Sterling Castle, in Padmore, and indeed across the length and breadth of Jamaica, will ensure that the cries for water by residents in formerly unserved or underserved communities are relegated to the past” Minister Samuda declared.

The Minister urged the residents to do their part to ensure that the supplies of potable water are sustained.

“I encourage residents, who will be supplied by the replacement pipeline, in both Sterling Castle and Padmore, to manage their water usage effectively. Notify the NWC if you happen to notice any leakages or broken pipes”.

He also noted that despite the recent rainfall, the country is not out of the woods in terms of drought conditions.  He urged customers to continue to remain vigilant and conserve their use of water.

“If you have rainwater harvesting systems at your homes, use the opportunity to collect rainfall when it presents itself.  We must begin to think ‘outside the box’ in terms of our water security and plan accordingly for the future”, the Minister stated.
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Minister with responsibility for the Works Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Clifford E. Warmington has disclosed that the National Works Agency, NWA, will replace a number of bridges island-wide at a cost of over $1.2 billion.

Speaking yesterday (May 31, 2023), during his Sectoral Presentation in Parliament, Minister Warmington noted that the NWA has already completed the design parameters for eight of ten bridges with the designs for another two bridges scheduled to be completed by the end of August this year.

“Over the years, under the heading of bridges, we were only allocated about $70 million. This amount very often could not fix even one structure, so many were unable to be repaired. Thankfully, Madam Speaker, this year we have a significant change which we intend to make it possible for more people to “cross it” and do so safely”.

The bridges to receive attention during this fiscal year are Troy in Trelawny; Craigmill in Portland; Spring Village and Guanaboa Vale in St. Catherine; Southwood in Clarendon; Barham and Shewsbury/Logwood in Westmoreland; Mahogany Vale in St. Thomas; Penfield in St. Andrew and Woodsville in Hanover.

Minister Warmington further disclosed that a rail repair programme would also be carried out on bridges in St. James and St. Elizabeth.

“I have been travelling around the Island and I see many bridges without rails. I have instructed that we urgently implement a programme for the repairs of some of these rails. This year, we will be targeting some fifteen bridges in St. James and St. Elizabeth, where rails need to be replaced. We intend to spend some $35 million on this effort”, the Minister stated.

The bridges in St. James that will benefit under the programme include Howard Cooke Bridge; West Gate Bridge; John’s Hall Bridge; Retrieve Bridge; Seven Rivers Bridge; Ducketts Bridge; Great River Bridge and the Niagara Bridge.

“In St. Elizabeth, we will be implementing a permanent fix to the ongoing problem of missing rails on the Lacovia Bridge” Minister Warmington disclosed.

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