Gov’t Looking to Double Soapberry Wastewater Treatment Plant Capacity
By: , January 18, 2024
Photo: Dave Reid
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, delivers the keynote address during the launch of the RE/MAX Jamaica Conference and Expo at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean on Wednesday (January 17).
Photo: Dave Reid
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda (centre), converses with RE/MAX Jamaica Country Manager, O’Neil Kirlew (left), and Regional Sales and Relationship Manager, Donalda Daley-Martin. The occasion was the launch of the RE/MAX Jamaica Conference and Expo at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean on Wednesday (January 17).
Photo: Dave Reid
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda (left), interacts with RE/MAX Jamaica Country Manager, O’Neil Kirlew, during the launch of the RE/MAX Jamaica Conference and Expo at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean on Wednesday (January 17).The Full Story
The Government is looking to double the capacity of the Soapberry Wastewater Treatment Plant in St. Catherine by attracting major investments in the facility.
This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, who indicated that “the Government will go to market with a designed product to ensure that we are able to double the capacity of Soapberry”.
He was speaking during Wednesday’s (January 17) launch of the RE/MAX Jamaica Conference and Expo at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean in Kingston.
Noting that Soapberry is the country’s largest sewage treatment plant, Senator Samuda said the Government’s plans “reflect our commitment to ensure that [the] sewage capacity increases to facilitate continued development in this area”.
He pointed out that this is not the only major sewerage investment in Jamaica as, last year, the Government commissioned a $900-million sewerage system in Greater Portmore, St. Catherine, and a similar facility in Hanover valued $300 million.
“What I am trying to assure you all, as pioneers of the real estate industry, is that the foundation of your industry is being attended to by the Government. We are making the investments that you need us to make in water and sanitation,” the Minister told the audience.
He further stated that the investments are now translating into roads, while assuring that those to come “will significantly increase the quality and resilience of our community roads and not just the focus that has been on our highways”.
“Highways are important and they do open up sections of the country for investment that were not experiencing the benefit of investment previously; so, it’s not something we’re going to resile from. In fact, we’re going to pick up the pace with highway investments.
“But as the Minister of Finance [and the Public Service] announced, over the next 24 to 36 months, the Government will be spending some $40 billion on road improvement at the community level,” Senator Samuda said.
The RE/MAX Jamaica Conference and Expo 2024 aims to provide an extraordinary platform for real estate professionals, stakeholders, investors, companion industries, and the public to engage, learn, share and grow.
The three-day event is slated for The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston from Sunday, April 14 to Tuesday, April 16.