THE NATIONAL Water Commis-sion (NWC) has deposited $4 million into a bank account as the first step in a new agreement with the National Works Agency (NWA) that will see the executive agency effecting repairs to roads damaged by NWC's excavation activities to repair broken mains and leaks.
The $4 million deposit represents an "act of good faith" in the agreement and once that sum is exhausted by the NWA's road reinstatement activities, another deposit will be made in the account for future repairs, according to Karen Clacken of the NWC's public relations department.
"It depends on the number of roads we have to reinstate, but that first deposit is just to assure the NWA that we are committed to this agreement. As the NWA fixes the roads, they will be paid from that account, and when the money is finished, the NWC will deposit more into the account," Ms. Clacken explained.
The agreement is to last for two years and is applicable to all roads for which the NWA has responsibility.
In a release from the NWC, President E.G Hunter welcomed the move as "good news for the Jamaican public in general and motorists in particular".
"It is well known that the arrangements under which the Commission previously utilised the services of individual contractors to carry out road reinstatement across the island has often been unreliable and beset with delays. Now we can all benefit from the road-related expertise and resources of the NWA for the permanent reinstatement of roadways in accordance with the guidelines and specifications for the operations of utility companies," Mr. Hunter said.
