The Government has approved an additional J$150 million to increase the emergency response to drought conditions over the next four weeks.

Making the announcement at the weekly Post Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House today (September 13, 2023), Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, disclosed that the emergency response would be focused primarily on eastern parishes that are severely affected by the drought.

He noted that households in St. Mary, Portland, St. Thomas, Downtown Kingston, and the hills of St. Andrew were particularly affected. However, he added that areas outside of eastern Jamaica where there are issues with water systems, would also receive support.

“That 150 million dollars will be broken down with J$80 million going to the National Water Commission to increase trucking to critical infrastructure, certainly your hospitals, schools, your health centres, and indeed homes for the aged, as well as communities along the utility footprint. We have also allocated J$10 million dollars to the National Irrigation Commission to help with some trucking in the hills of St. Catherine, Clarendon, St. Mary, and St. Ann where we are also having reduced rainfall”, the Minister outlined.

Minister Samuda further noted that J$60 million of the J$150 million would also go to the Ministry of Local Government to increase their support to local communities within the affected parishes.

“Though the Government has made unprecedented levels of investment in the water infrastructure, the severity of the drought has made it more difficult for the existing water systems to cope. As such, this added investment of J$150 million will assist those areas that are most in need”, he added.

Highlighting the impact of the meteorological drought on the NWC’s operations, Minister Samuda noted that the rainfall received in recent months was not sufficient to recharge the NWC’s systems or the municipal systems.

“The KSA major system input is down approximately 40 percent in total. So we have 40 percent of our normal supplies in the Corporate Area. The current levels in the Mona Reservoir as at Monday (September 11), was 36.1 percent which is approximately 27 days of storage. The storage situation at Hermitage, having received some rainfall over the past two weeks went up to approximately 53.7 percent which is something that we manage very carefully”, he disclosed.

The Minister noted that the NWC has increased the transfer from Rio Cobre to 6 million gallons, to offset some of the reductions.

“So for those who are experiencing significant and very stressful impacts of water lock-offs, we want them to understand that this is what the reduction in rainfall has caused. There is no conclusive increase in rainfall expected so even when we do get some inflows over a week or so we will be managing the level of output very carefully” the Minister stated.

Other interventions highlighted by Minister Samuda include the re-activation of a number of wells in the Corporate Area and St. Catherine; the removal of unauthorized connections triggering leaks along the Yallahs pipeline; and trucking in excess of J$380 million by the NWC to affected areas as well as the distribution of some storage tanks.

                                                                                                –30–

There are fewer single-use plastic items entering the waste disposal stream in Jamaica since the Ban on single-use plastics was introduced on a phased basis commencing in January 2019.

This was disclosed in a study on the volume of plastics entering the waste stream that was carried out by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in tandem with Ecogeos, a French-based consultancy firm.

Director of Environmental Management and Conservation at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Anthony McKenzie, says this is a positive development.

“A Waste Characterization Study done last year, June 2022, identified the fact that only 0.03 percent of plastics found in our waste disposal facility is made up of the banned items.  So, this is positive news. It demonstrates that the action to prohibit certain types of plastics is working and so when we compare the plastics that enter the disposal sites now in comparison to five years ago it’s obvious that based on the statistics in the findings of this report, the ban is working.”

Despite the success, however, some challenges remain, with the single-use plastic bags commonly known as “scandal bags”.

“In our market districts, we are still seeing these bags appearing and people using them, and we want to appeal to the public that these bags are banned…It’s either that they are being illegally imported or being manufactured locally. We are on to this activity, and we are sending out a clear warning that if we identify the importers or the manufacturers, they are going to be punished to the full extent of the law”, added Mr. McKenzie.

The NEPA has revealed that approximately 52 entities have been prosecuted since the implementation of the ban, with the latest court cases occurring in St. Thomas in July this year.

The ban on single-use plastic was implemented in three phases beginning in 2019.

The ban covers 24” x 24” polyethylene or polypropylene plastic bags (scandal bags), as well as the use of polyethylene or polypropylene plastic drinking straws.

It also covers packaging made wholly or in part of expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam*) used in the food and beverage industry and single-use polyethylene or polypropylene plastic bags which were used in department stores, as well as plastic drinking straws attached to or forming part of the packaging of juice boxes and drink pouches.

The Plastic Ban is governed by two pieces of legislation, namely, the Trade (Plastic Packaging Material Prohibition) Order, 2018, and The Natural Resources Conservation Authority (Plastic Packaging Material Prohibition) Order, 2018.

–30–

 

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, departs Jamaica today for the 7th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Vancouver, Canada.

Minister Samuda will lead Jamaica’s delegation, which includes senior directors from the Ministry, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), and United Nations Development Programme GEF Small Grants Programme.

The 7th GEF Assembly will be held under the overarching theme “Healthy Planet, Healthy People” from August 22-26, 2023. It is expected that the GBF Fund will be launched at the meeting of the Assembly.

“Jamaica would like to express its appreciation to the GEF, under the stewardship of the current Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Mr. Carlos Manuel Rodriquez, for the continued commitment and support to this Government and people in the pursuit of environmental sustainability and by extension sustainable development. We welcome the funding provided under the GEF 8 replenishment and look forward to the effective and timely implementation of the decisions that will be adopted at this 7th session of the GEF Assembly,” Minister Samuda said.

In addition to the meeting of the Assembly, the agenda will include:

• High-level roundtables;
• Youth Leaders Learning Exchange;
• Indigenous and Local Knowledge featuring case study presentations and follow-up discussions on the Arctic and Amazon focus on food and natural systems;
• Partnership Forum during which non-state actors will have the opportunity to articulate their rights and interests, share their experiences and communicate their aspirations in relation to the GEF’s mission;
• Side events; and
• Field visits to environmental activities close to Vancouver.

The Assembly is the governing body of the GEF that includes representatives of all 185 member countries and is responsible for reviewing and evaluating the GEF’s general policies, operations, and membership.

–30–

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, continued his two-day tour of water systems in St. James today, August 18, 2023, with a visit to the Rhyne Park Water Supply System.

The Minister, who was accompanied on the tour by Member of Parliament for East Central St. James and Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, viewed the rehabilitation and upgrading works being conducted on the number 1 and 2 pumping stations at Rhyne Park.

The project, which is being carried out by the National Water Commission at a cost of J$605 million, is aimed at increasing coverage; reducing the downtime associated with high turbidity and equipment failure; and improving the reliability of service to some 8000 customers in the Rhyne Park Housing Development and the communities of Spot Valley, Edmund Ridge, and Mount Zion.

The scope of the project was divided into two phases. Phase 1 comprised the mechanical and electrical upgrading of the two pumping stations.

“This includes significant investment in storage capacity to put in new tanks, but it also importantly includes investment on the mechanical side. We’ve changed out the pumping infrastructure and we are now in a position to ensure that we are able to provide in excess of 1.1 million gallons daily,” Minister Samuda stated.

Phase 2 of the project includes the procurement and construction of 5km of 400mm ductile iron pipes to transfer water from the Martha Brae Trunk Main in the vicinity of the Hylton Rose Hall Hotel to the 500,000-gallon storage reservoir at Rhyne Park Phase 3.

“We are also doing some work on the distribution lines to ensure that it is modern infrastructure and that the appropriate resilience is indeed built in. So this is just another example of the significant investment that is being made in water infrastructure. But that investment is being made in a very targeted and sequential manner in light of the long-term planning that I know Minister Bartlett, as Member of Parliament and as Minister, has put into this area because of how close it is to the tourism belt,” Minister Samuda noted.

Yesterday, Thursday, August 17, Minister Samuda toured several areas in the constituencies of North West St. James and Central St. James to examine the issues with the water supply in those areas, and to view two major tanks that were recently installed at Torado Heights.

 

-30-

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, led an extensive tour of water supply systems in the constituencies of North West St. James and Central St. James yesterday (August 17, 2023).

“We’ve done an extensive water tour looking at issues from Rose Heights all the way up to Flower Hill. The tour culminated in Torado Heights where we looked at two new pieces of infrastructure including two major tanks that we have installed”, Minister Samuda stated.

Minister Samuda was joined on the tour by the Member of Parliament for North West St. James, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, as well as the Member of Parliament for Central St. James, Heroy Clarke, and senior teams from the National Water Commission, the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and the Rural Water Supply Ltd.

“We looked at a programme of work that we will undertake in Rose Heights which admittedly will be done over two budget cycles but will involve significant upgrade of storage at three sites. So, we did see where there is an inadequate amount of storage. This will require close to a million gallons of storage at the appropriate elevations to increase capacity, and this project would be broken into three phases”, explained Minister Samuda.

Minister Samuda affirmed that the government will continue to implement the necessary water infrastructure in the western part of the island.

“As we’ve said on several tours this isn’t the silver bullet. As we know, the aging infrastructure coming as far as Martha Brae reaching all the way around the coast to Sav la Mar, is simply not fit for purpose. We will have to, as a government, work very closely to identify the funds and put in significant investment to ensure that these parts of the puzzle work seamlessly together so that the citizens from Trelawny all the way around to Sav La Mar are able to experience potable water in the pipes 24 hours a day”.

Minister Samuda will visit the Rhyne Park Water Supply Upgrade Project today (August 18, 2023) as part of his tour of water supply systems in St. James.
–30–

The Government of Jamaica (GoJ), through the National Water Commission (NWC), is investing approximately $433 million into the replacement of the existing transmission main situated between the Norman Manley International Airport round-about and the NWC pumping station at the eastern entrance of Port Royal.

This project is expected to be completed by October 2023 and will provide potable water to approximately 2,000 people in the town of Port Royal. The Palisadoes Strip and Port Royal Shipping Port are also expected to benefit from this pipeline upgrade.

Noting that the installation of new water mains in Port Royal is going to improve the quality of life in Port Royal, the Prime Minister urged the residents to develop a mindset of taking advantage of the positive changes to come.

“Once you put in place water and road infrastructure, electricity and in today’s context sewage and internet, you are going to see residential, commercial and industrial development mushroom in an orderly way…housing is going to get better, the sewage is already improved, water is going to get better, drainage is going to get better, we have invested already in a new cruise ship pier and putting in facilities for cruise shipping. This community is set for prosperity,” the Prime Minister stated.

The scope of work includes the supply and installation of approximately 8.6 km of 300mm (12 inches) High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) ductile iron pipelines. The works are broken down into the supply of pipeline material at a cost of $221 million; installation of a 300mm transmission pipeline at a cost of $192 million; and contingencies at a cost of $20 million.

The use of HDPE pipes was a careful selection by the NWC to match pipe composition with the unique environmental factors to ensure that both the ecosystem and the NWC’s network are protected, as operations are completed.

“These pipes are joined together in a chemical and mechanical process that fuses the pipes, so you don’t have to worry about leaks. When you mechanically join the pipes together, after a time they contract, they expand, they contract, they expand and then they crack. Nothing like that will happen. You know when you use the metal pipes after a while the size of the pipes gets smaller because there is a build-up of sediment but worse than that, the pipes rot and when there is vibration, then they collapse. These pipes, there may be some build-up of sediment, but not much and they use technology now to clean the pipes quickly, but these pipes will not collapse,” the Prime Minister assured.

The works represent the third segment of upgrade works being undertaken by the NWC, with the initial works commencing in 2012 from Harbour View to the roundabout at the Norman Manley International Airport; and the second phase now underway at the facility situated near the Port Royal town centre.

With this project’s completion, the residents of Port Royal can expect improved service reliability; better-carrying capacity from the new pipelines; and extended run time of the pumping systems.

In giving the Vote of Thanks, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, noted that the Prime Minister has not only articulated a vision for the development of Port Royal but has demonstrated action and commitment in investing in the future of the area.

“Not just broadly, but for the people. For their residential status and for their prosperity, and for that Prime Minister, we thank you for the commitment and for the follow through in ensuring that this investment happens with this most recent investment in their water supply,” he noted.

Minister Samuda also thanked all the stakeholders on the project including the contractors Ashtrom Building Systems Ltd., the NWC, and representatives of the MEGJC.

-30-

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Clifford E. Warmington, has announced a comprehensive program to upgrade roadways and bridges, which will address long-standing infrastructure challenges in West Central St Catherine.

Minister Warmington along with Member of Parliament, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, conducted a tour of the area, on Wednesday (July 19, 2023), and identified several key areas in dire need of attention.

“I am making available $20 million for emergency repair between Sandy Ground and Ginger Ridge, based on the condition of the road, and Grounds Hall we have 10 million for the lower part”, Minister Warmington stated.

He added that the Guanaboavale Bride will be among the first eight bridges to be repaired from the $1.3 Billion allocated for bridges, in this financial year.

Minister Warmington further outlined the work to be done across the constituency under the SPARK Programme.

• From the project that we have for this constituency under the SPARK Programme, the $40 billion Programme, I can say that from Bamboo to Worthy Park, we have $280 million for mill and overlay, $382 million for rehabilitation, $13.1 million for retaining walls, we have $14 million for sidewalks. Overall, for that stretch, we have $629.16 million.
• From Ginger Ridge to Barton, we have $43.2 million for mill and overlay, we have $111.78 million for rehabilitation and new construction, retaining wall we have $559 million…From Ginger Ridge to Bartons overall $754.047 million to spend on that in the new financial year under the Spark Programme.
• Spanish Town to Bamboo we have 168 million for mill and overlay, $193.2 million for rehabilitation, $21 million for sidewalks, $22 million for intersection… so that one from Spanish Town to Bamboo is $484.52 million.
• Back Pasture to Junction, we have $110.4 million for rehabilitation, $40.4 million for retaining walls, so on that stretch, we have $150.8 million.

Minister Warmington confirmed that work will be undertaken on the Watermount road network in the next financial year.

–30–

Minister with responsibility for Water, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda has lauded the recent ISO Accreditation of the NWC Instrumentation and Meters Laboratory.

The accreditation of the Meter Test Lab is one of the most important unseen areas of the NWC operations. This test bench and the accreditation underlines the NWC’s strategic decision to ensure that customers’ meters are verified as accurate by not just local standards but international standards.

Speaking at the Ribbon Cutting event on Wednesday (July 19, 2023), Minister Samuda stated that the facility will build customer confidence in the accuracy of the measurement readings.

“You [NWC] have increased capacity for testing with best-in-class equipment, and that’s a big deal, confidence in Jamaica is critical. I want my team members when they go in the field to speak definitively about the work that NWC does, and this is one such tool that will help you to speak definitively when you speak to customers”.

Minister Samuda added that the certification of the Meters Laboratory is part of the NWC’s $7 Billion investment programme. “This will ensure that every drop that we collect, store, process and distribute, gets to customers. But Jamaicans have to know how much water they’re using, and this is the final step in ensuring that households are certain of their consumption…We are not going to ease up on our work”.

The NWC Instrumentation and Meters Laboratory is the first calibration laboratory in Jamaica to be accredited by the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard, the globally accepted standard used to confirm the technical competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

“I am sure that as we get ISO certification accreditation for other parts of this utility it will communicate to citizens that the utility is being run well, that the workers are performing at the best level in the world, and that we are buying and investing in the equipment that is in line with best practice”, affirmed Minister Samuda.

The NWC Instrumentation and Meters Laboratory is the second calibration laboratory to be accredited by JANAAC in the Caribbean region.

–30–

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.

–30–

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”.

–30–