Protect Utility Infrastructure – Dr. Chang

Minister of Water and Housing, Dr. Horace Chang, is appealing to employees within the public utilities sector, to be protective of its infrastructure.
This, he says, is with a view to being in a position to grasp opportunities when the current economic downturn comes to an end.
Pointing to an efficient utilities sector as one that is critical to the development process within any country, Dr. Chang credited the local sector for the many recent foreign investments and development in tourism.
“We could not have been as convincing in the market place, despite our brand name, as we are today, to keep people coming to Jamaica, and not only in tourism but begin to look at other areas because critical to the development process is the development and maintenance of an effective, efficient utilities system,” he said.
He was addressing the 2009 Easter Festival of the Caribbean Utilities Employees Association (CUEA), held at the Starfish Resort, in Trelawny, on Thursday April 9.
The Water and Housing Minister expressed optimism that the world economy will make a turn for the better, noting that when this happens there will be further opportunities for investments and development.
He said Caribbean nations must position themselves to take advantage of the anticipated opportunities.
“Critical to that is to care the infrastructure, which involves the utilities,” he emphasised.
He warned that if proper maintenance and care is not taken towards the infrastructure now in place, when the world economies start to turn around and opportunities start to present themselves, the region might have to start a whole new process of redevelopment before it can access some of the available opportunities.