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.
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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