Government Delivers Results
Prime Minister Holness Highlights Accelerated Water Infrastructure Development
Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says the Government of Jamaica has significantly accelerated the pace of water infrastructure development across the island through public and private investments.
The Prime Minister was speaking on Thursday (April 10, 2025) at the commissioning of a new water tank and pipeline in Rhyne Park, St. James.
“Water is a human necessity and delivering that necessity is the responsibility of the government, and [this] government takes it very seriously. Over the last five years, we have invested unprecedented sums in water infrastructure. As of this fiscal year, more than 150,000 Jamaicans now have improved water supply because of our deliberate and sustained interventions. This level of investment has not been seen since the 1980s,” said Prime Minister Holness.
With $22 billion in public investment and $14.2 billion in private partnership funding, the government has prioritized building a modern, resilient water network.
The Rhyne Park project, part of this broader push, is valued at $54.58 million and has directly improved supply to over 10,400 residents across 2,600 households in communities such as Barrett Town, Palmyra, Rosevale, and Mount Zion. Infrastructure upgrades include five new pumps, enhanced power systems, and motor control centres, providing faster recharge times and more reliable water delivery.
In addressing persons who question the pace of development, the Prime Minister said:
“The full picture is that the government has accelerated the pace at which it is delivering water. And if someone were to come and tell you, ‘Yeah, vote for me and at the snap of a finger you’re going to get water,’ they don’t respect you. Because they think that your thinking is shallow, and you can be told anything, and you believe it. So I just had to use this opportunity to point that out to the thinking Jamaicans and to the unthinking Jamaicans as well, and we invite you to join the reasonable middle Jamaica—the reasonable thinking population—to dismiss the flying horses.”
The Prime Minister also highlighted the success of the NWC Amnesty Programme, launched in November 2024 to help persons disconnected from water service.
The initiative has seen 33,000 inquiries, 6,876 reconnections completed, and 8,535 in progress, with $473 million collected and $1.18 billion in household debt written off.
Phase Two of the Rhyne Park project is now in the planning phase and will include over five kilometres of new pipelines, new pump stations, steel storage tanks, and advanced pressure modelling, at a cost nearing $1 billion.
The government also plans to invest $28 billion to rehabilitate aging infrastructure from Martha Brae to Negril.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister encouraged all Jamaicans to be positive about their country and choose what is best for Jamaica.