Operations of Rapid Response to be Divested

Jamaicans will continue to benefit from trucked water under the Rapid Response Programme, until September, when a new regime is put in place.
The Ministry of Water and Housing, has taken the decision to divest the operations of the programme to employees in a share ownership programme, Minister, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang said on July 2, at his post-Sectoral Debate press briefing, held at the Ministry, in Kingston.
This will see the service being offered on a contractual basis to local authorities, and central authorities, where required, and the National Water Commission. This will ensure that employees keep their jobs, and that the demand for this service is still met.
“It (Rapid Response) was basically a capital project designed to provide trucking of water until we get our water system up to more acceptable levels of efficiency. I don’t think the central Ministry of Government should be involved in the trucking of water,” the Minister argued.
Dr. Chang said the local authorities will now focus on this trucking system, and that monitoring of the quality of the service will be done by the Public Health Department, to see that the trucks are properly treated.