Montego Bay – Opposition spokesman on water, Dr Horace Chang, has spent the last few days researching the portfolio and appears set to be a formidable shadow minister.

In an interview with the Observer earlier this week, terms such as plant development, conservation, waste water treatment and disposal rolled off his tongue as he passionately spoke of the new responsibility that was thrust upon him on October 30.

“On a general basis we are looking at the broad policy affecting conservation and development of water resources in Jamaica. And then to examine how we distribute water and what kind of systems we have to distribute it, and if the supplies are adequate,” Dr Chang said. “In the last few days I have been visiting the various agencies to get a feel of what is happening and meet the people who are in charge. The next step is going to be to meet some of the relevant ministers and certainly the water and housing minister is one person I’ll have to work with both from a constituency point of view and from a national point of view.”

The opposition spokesman on water is also the Member of Parliament for the vital North West St James constituency that encompasses the business hub of the western city.

At the constituency level, Dr Chang will have to grapple with the pressing concern of housing in the resort city which now has about 17 squatter settlements.

“Montego Bay has a massive housing problem. The National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC) is working on Norwood, Providence, Relocation 2000, Rose Heights, which incorporates about 5,000 housing solutions so I have to deal with those,” he said. “At a constituency level, I have a major housing problem which I am dealing with, at the national level, I have to deal with the water problem.”

But far from being overwhelmed, Dr Chang appears to be relishing the challenge. A medical doctor by profession, he has now scaled back his office hours to tackle the jobs of MP for North West St James and opposition spokesman on water.

According to Dr Chang, he will now be in office only two days a week.

“I’ll be in office on Mondays and Fridays, ambitiously that’s where I am starting. What I have seen of Montego Bay, it looks like an eight day a week programme,” he said with a chuckle.