Additional $1 Billion Allocated for Rural Water Systems
By: , March 22, 2024
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, speaks in the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, on March 21.The Full Story
An additional $1 billion is to be dedicated to rural water systems for the upcoming 2024/2025 Financial Year.
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 21.
Mr. Holness said the significant investment is intended to meet the need for the resource by communities in rural Jamaica, many of which are not National Water Commission (NWC) customers.
“Having gone around the country into the rural areas, I have heard the cries loud and clear from persons who complained bitterly about not having water… . They are not part of the utility system. They rely on natural sources, springs and rivers or local supply systems such as catchment tanks or entombments,” he explained, noting that these are unreliable sources.
Mr. Holness said the sum is in addition to the $409 million being invested by Rural Water into several projects nationally.
The proposed projects for the Financial Year 2024/25 are Riversdale in St. Catherine North Eastern, at a cost of $53 million; Spring Gardens, St. James Southern, $19 million; Maroon Town in St. James Southern, $53.2 million; Stepney, St. Ann South Western, $45.6 million; Rocky Point, Clarendon South Eastern, $22.8 million; Petersfield, St. Mary Western, $11.4 million; Fallen Spring/Bruk Way, St. Mary Western, $7.6 million; Bamboo, Hanover Eastern, $30.4 million; Orange Bay/Crystal Spring, Portland Western, $60.8 million; Cascade Section, Portland Western, $19 million; Non-Such, Portland Eastern, $26 million; and Lowe River/Mendez Town, Trelawny Southern, $20.3 million.
The purchasing of pipes to assist the NWC to undertake these projects will cost $40 million.
“I know that there are several projects on the books but not funded. So, they have developed projects, but because they are not financed, they have put them in ‘File 13’. What we are going to say to Rural Water now is bring out those projects. We have $1 billion that we are going to reserve under Capital. Get those projects in, and let’s get water to the people,” he said.