PSOJ calls for improved service, pushes back on NWC increase proposal

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) is calling for accountability before any increase is granted to the National Water Commission (NWC) following the commission's application for a 51 per cent tariff hike. “The National Water Commission has a genuine financial and infrastructure problem, and we recognise the urgent need to improve Jamaica's water supply and reliability. However, a 51 per cent tariff increase cannot be approved without clear conditions and accountability,” said Executive Director of the PSOJ Sacha Vaccianna-Riley. Vaccianna-Riley said businesses and households are already under pressure and customers should not be expected to carry the cost of inefficiencies that remain unresolved. She pointed to current non-revenue water issues at the facility as a point of significant concern. “We are particularly concerned that the NWC is losing an estimated 70 per cent to 73 per cent of the water it produces through leakage and other forms of non-revenue water. The commission has also spent more than $800 million monthly on electricity. So before customers are asked to pay significantly more, there must be a clear plan to reduce these losses, improve collections and cut energy costs,” Vaccianna-Riley said. She added that the commissions' outstanding $21 billion GCT liability should be addressed separately rather than passed on to customers through their water bills. “The PSOJ is therefore calling for any tariff increase to be phased and tied to measurable performance targets. That means independently verified  savings, better service reliability, transparent use of capital funds and clear evidence that promised improvements are being delivered,” she said.