Streetlight Repair Programme on Track

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, says the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) Streetlight repair programme is on track for completion in March.

He was addressing the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on January 15 at Gordon House.

A sum of $7.1 billion has been allocated in the First Supplementary Estimates to pay down on arrears to the JPS, which includes an arrangement for the company to repair 12,000 streetlights by the end of this fiscal year.

According to a release from the JPS in December, the number of streetlights fixed since the beginning of 2018 is over 10,000, in addition to the more than 5,000 that have been converted to light-emitting diode (LED) smart streetlights.

The Minister also gave the assurance that attention is being given to repairing streetlights in high crime areas.

“The Local Government Ministry is working with the Ministry of National Security to ensure that in the January-March phase, priority is given to areas that have traditionally suffered from high rates of violence against the person and violence against property,” Dr. Clarke said.

Approximately 2,000 streetlights are being repaired per month under the programme.