NWC Budgets $11.46 Billion For Capital Expenditure

The National Water Commission (NWC) has budgeted $11.46 billion for capital expenditure, to continue water and sewerage infrastructure rehabilitation during the 2020/21 fiscal year.

This is being done to improve operational efficiency and service delivery, according to the Jamaica Public Bodies Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year ending March 2021.

The earmarked sum includes $4.77 billion to replace mains along Spanish Town Road deemed pivotal to increasing water distribution in Kingston; $1 billion for works under the Port Royal distribution and sewerage system upgrading project, which is central to supporting development plans for the community; and $2.87 billion for rehabilitation works under the K-factor Programme, aimed at reducing non-revenue water (NRW).

According to the Public Bodies Estimates, work under the NRW in Kingston and St. Andrew (KSA), is expected to be completed by September 2020.

This is forecast to result in a reduction in NRW across the KSA from 59 to 30 per cent.

In a bid to expand the NRW’s benefits, the NWC plans to replicate the project in other areas, including St. Catherine and parishes along the north coast.

Meanwhile, the entity will be continuing work to improve aged infrastructure and expand network coverage.

This is to achieve effective metering and billing, and streamlined revenue inflows, which are paramount to the entity’s operational efficiency and sustainability.

The NWC has also embarked on a programme to modernise its information and communication technology (ICT) platform, in keeping with the agency’s thrust to transform the manner in which it does business.

The entity projects a pre-tax surplus of $1.34 billion from the programmed activities.