The National Land Agency (NLA) is reporting that it has issued over 8,000 Titles under the Systematic Land Registration Programme since the programme began in 2021.

The Agency was mandated by the Government to deliver a total of 20-thousand Titles in three years. Of this number, 12,000 are to be issued under the Systematic Land Registration Programme.

“The National Land Agency has issued a total of 12,224 Certificates of Title; 8,284 of which have been issued via the Systematic Land Registration Programme”, disclosed Ms. Shalise Porteous, Senior Director of Adjudication Services at the NLA.

Systematic Land Registration (SLR) is the methodical and orderly registration of parcels of land in a designated area known as the Systematic Adjudication Area.

The project is currently being administered in St. Elizabeth, St. Catherine and Manchester, and over one hundred communities have been declared as Systematic Adjudication Areas.

Ms Porteous says the programme is bearing fruit.

“This data is proof that the Systematic Land Registration process works, as more Certificates of Title have been issued from this programme when compared to any other land titling initiative in this country.”

The Adjudication Services Division of the NLA assists landowners who have been in undisturbed and undisputed possession of their land for twelve years or more, to claim ownership via the Systematic Land Registration Process.

Under the Systematic Land Registration Project, persons no longer must visit the NLA to apply for a registered Title. Instead, representatives from the NLA visit the declared communities, to adjudicate the land rights and interests of the residents.

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The National Water Commission (NWC) is re-activating the Montgomery Well, off Marescaux Road in Kingston, which will provide an additional one to two million gallons of potable water daily, to sections of the Corporate Area.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, visited the site yesterday, where work is ongoing to activate the well.

He was joined by Member of Parliament for South Eastern St. Andrew, Julian Robinson, and Councillor for the Trafalgar Division, Kari Douglas, as well as senior members of staff of the NWC and the Ministry.

Minister Samuda noted that the work to put the well back into operation is a major initiative in the NWC’s drought mitigation efforts.

“In February this year, KSA received 8 percent of its 30-year average of rainfall. It means the NWC has had to be creative. It has had to work around the clock and had to look at resources that were resting. Earlier in the year, we would have also brought on stream the Long Mountain Well to provide close to another million gallons into the system, to reduce the pressure on the Mona System”, he stated.

Minister Samuda noted that the Montgomery Well would benefit the Cross Roads area extending into Downtown Kingston and its environs.

Meanwhile, Acting Corporate Public Relations Manager at the NWC, Delano Wiliams, noted that work on the Well, in which the NWC is investing some J$25 million, started months ago, and is now at an advanced stage.

“Water is being pumped from the well to get out any debris, so it is clean and clear and then we move towards what we call a step test, to measure the volume of water that comes out”, he noted.

The Well will be in service by December, and should effectively reduce the impact of the traditional dry period in January and February, as well as the drying effects of the ‘El Nino’ phenomenon, which scientists predict will last for another 4-5 years.

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Approximately 40 thousand National Water Commission (NWC) customers in Jericho, Ewarton, Mount Rosser, and other communities in North West St. Catherine, should see significant improvements in their water supply by December 2023.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda made the comment yesterday (September 29), during a tour of major pipelaying and other infrastructure works being carried out in the area, by the NWC and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

According to Minister Samuda, the project represents J$125 million of investments, in improving the water infrastructure in Jericho which includes the installation of pipelines from the Jericho well facility to the main road and the interconnection of the pipelines into the existing network.

“That investment includes new 16-inch distribution mains. There are also 6-inch distribution mains that are being put in at the community level.  We’ve also put in pressure reduction valves that help us to reduce breakage in the lines and we’ve also done significant work on the pumphouses to ensure that the pumps are at a capacity that serve the number of citizens in this area”, the Minister noted.

Minister Samuda added that the work on the pumps and the well, to supply water through the pipeline would result in savings for the NWC.

“That pump is a major investment because it’s ultimately going to trigger savings for the NWC in excess of 70 million Jamaican dollars annually.  We used to pull water in this area from a private source.  We no longer have to do that, as we are able to find our own well and put in place the investments.  It is a 300-meter-deep well.  It will pull some 2 ½  million gallons a day for the citizens here. So not only are we providing a more reliable water supply to our citizens, we’re also saving the Water Commission money. So that allows us to pay back for this project within two years”, the Minister stated.

Minister Samuda further noted that persons in the community are already receiving water, as some upgrading had already been carried out on the pumps and on some of the lines. However, he urged persons who are not connected legally to the NWC’s pipelines to do so.

“We are doing our part.  We’re going to need the citizens to do their part, so those who are not connected to the network, we are going to be working with them to get them on to the network legally”, the Minister noted.

Noting that road reinstatement is included in the project, Minister Samuda urged the travelling public to be patient as the pipelaying works progress.

“800 meters of pipe is being laid.  We know that it is particularly hard on the taxis in the space, so we ask them to pardon our progress. We are working as quickly as we can, to ensure that the road is restored”.

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Jamaica has benefitted from climate finance due to its sound fiscal management, but much more is needed to meet its needs for climate resilience.
 
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, made the comment today,  during a panel discussion on ‘Scaling up Climate Finance: Investment for a Livable Planet’ during the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.
 
“Currently, we have in place a $764 million facility with the IMF, which is targeted at resilience and sustainability. This is focused at decarbonizing our economy as well as building the resilience both physically and fiscally within our space. We also have a $960 million emergency facility that we can draw down should we have any catastrophes. Additionally, we were the first country in the Caribbean to have a CAT Bond, which is valued at US$175 million”, he noted.
 
On the subject of Jamaica’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Minister Samuda noted that the updated NDCs were primarily geared towards significantly reducing the country’s carbon footprint.
 
“We expect that half of our energy will be produced by renewable sources by 2030.  We will start a 45-megawatt floating solar system over our largest reservoir within weeks. Our water system is the largest user of electricity in Jamaica, so it’s very important that we start to decarbonize that. We will also go to market for 100 megawatts of clean energy production”, he said.
 
However, he added that the process of financing projects of this nature is difficult, particularly for  Small Island Developing States (SIDS), like Jamaica. 
 
“As SIDS, we really have a capacity gap. It’s understood, but it (the funding) has not helped sufficiently, because ultimately to build the sorts of transactions that do facilitate the crowding-in of finance is difficult, and when you have a small public bureaucracy developing those sorts of programmes, it’s difficult”, the Minister noted.
 
Minister Samuda added that it is essential to move quickly with capacity support, to ensure that SIDS and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are able to take advantage of opportunities for resilience.

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The much-anticipated Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (Part-A), from May Pen to Williamsfield, was officially opened today (September 14, 2023), by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness during a ceremony at the new Toll Gate Plaza in Clarendon

The SCHIP Part A involved the construction of a brand-new four-lane divided highway, connecting May Pen to Williamsfield, and the transformation of the existing Melrose Hill Bypass into a four-lane divided highway.

Commuters can now look forward to a drastically reduced travel time of approximately 15 minutes along this route, contributing to enhanced connectivity, convenience and productivity.

In his address at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Holness noted that the new highway will increase productivity.

“This road is a step in improving the general quality of life for all Jamaicans, a step in improving the productivity of all Jamaicans and you can easily measure the productivity gain of this road, by the productivity loss in traffic, discomfort and the aggression it creates in driving on some of the other bad roads” the Prime Minister asserted.

According to Prime Minister Holness, a critical aspect of the project involved what is known as the “defects liabilities phase”.

“We’re not just building the road and then when the contractor leaves, that’s the end of it.  There is a two-year defects liability period where China Harbour Engineering Company will be responsible for any construction-related or design-related defects on the infrastructure”, stated Prime Minister Holness.

He added that other considerations are given when constructing roads across the island.

“When we build roads we put in water mains, that are not just designed to treat with the population that exists now, but we are planning for populations to come. So, we are investing in significantly large water mains and not using old materials. We are using materials that will last hundreds of years.   We are putting in fiber-optic cable.  We are putting in other sensors in the road.  Where necessary and possible, we put in sewage. But if you look at the roads that we are building today, you will see massive civil infrastructure investment…These roads will last your lifetime, and your children’s lifetime, and their children’s lifetime”, the Prime Minister stated.

Meanwhile, Minister with responsibility for the Works portfolio, Hon. Everald Warmington, described the newly completed highway as a testament to the Government’s unwavering dedication to the people of Jamaica.

“This leg of the highway represents more than just concrete, steel, and asphalt. It signifies development progress, connectivity, and the promise of a brighter future for all those who traverse the south coast of this country”, he noted.

Work on the 28-kilometer stretch of road, was completed by China Harbour Engineering Company, with oversight provided by the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC), an agency of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, has disclosed that the National Water Commission (NWC) will begin repair work next week on sections of the sewage infrastructure in Southeast St. Catherine.

He said this will alleviate the issues being experienced by the residents in affected areas. Yesterday (September 13, 2023) Minister Samuda and Member of Parliament for South-East St. Catherine, Robert Miller, toured the Armada Court, Myrtle Way, Passagefort, and Edgewater communities.

“We are touring sections of Portmore, and we are looking at a few issues. This constituency’s issue is not primarily potable water, what we have encountered are sewage issues. Armanda Court is one of the older residential schemes in the country and the infrastructure is aging…so we saw several lines that are due for replacement”, the Minister said.

Meanwhile, in Passagefort, Minister Samuda noted that a large break in the sewage main that connects the community to the sewage processing facility that eventually goes to Soapberry, had created an environmental risk as the leaks and overflow ended up in the canal. As such, he said, the NWC would be looking to move the project forward in the fastest possible time.

“We understand that every day with this problem just adds to the frustration, so, we will be working both with the private sector, those developers who are doing housing complexes within the area, as well as using our own resources from the NWC to get this project and this new line in place as fast as possible”, the Minister added.

For his part, Mr. Miller thanked the Government for answering the calls of the residents and placing the levels of investment into addressing the longstanding issue of sewage in his constituency.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

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