Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Pearnel Charles Jr, has said there is no quick-fix remedy for the water woes that have been afflicting residents on some sections of the island.
He said the Government is, however, committed to finding sustainable solutions to
addressing the water challenges.
Speaking at a meeting at the Clarendon Municipal Corporation, Charles Jr said while the Government is trying to alleviate the problems in short order, some of the challenges being faced with the distribution of the critical commodity by the National Water Commission (NWC) and other relevant agencies, are extremely significant.
“Many of our citizens are of the view that there are quick fixes that we are just not carrying out. But when we speak to the agencies, we recognise that what we define as a quick-fix is not something that can work,” the minister said.
Pearnel Charles Jr
Charles Jr and a team from the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, the National Water Commission, the Water Resources Authority and the Rural Water Supply Limited, met with stakeholders in Clarendon to continue the dialogue in seeking to identify effective solutions for communities that are currently being affected by the ongoing drought conditions.
“The goal for us as leaders must be to anticipate the problems that are going to come and implement solutions to mitigate those challenges,” he said.
The minister also spoke to the need to have constant engagement with citizens to highlight the work that is being done and address the viability of projects and determine the best solutions for each community.
“I have directed my team at the ministry to design a reporting mechanism that will capture all the data coming in from the MP’s (members of Parliament) and councillors as it relates to
water distribution in the affected areas. Once the information is received, it will be
collated and the proposal will be submitted to the prime minister. We are not holding these meetings to focus solely on the challenges; we also need solutions,” he stated.
