RESIDENTS of hurricane-ravaged Old Harbour Bay in St Catherine are set to benefit from a $6.9-million donation from new owners of the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), Marubeni Caribbean Power Holdings.

The money was donated to the charity organisation United Way of Jamaica during a ceremony at the Jamaica Public Service headquarters in Kingston on Thursday.

Chief Operating Officer for Marubeni, Seiji Kawamura, said Old Harbour was given priority because of its close relationship with JPS.

“As you know, JPS has a plant in Old Harbour and we have received great support from that community throughout the years. We would therefore like to express our particular solidarity with Old Harbour Bay, which is one of the hardest hit areas in the country,” Kawamura said.

By the time Hurricane Dean had passed on Sunday, the fishing village was blown apart. The entire community suffered from the powerful winds and 20-foot high storm surges which smashed the fishing beach and other areas in the bay.

Chairman of United Way of Jamaica, Alvaro Casserly, promised to dispense the funds even-handedly and thanked Marubeni for the assistance.

The police station at Old Harbour Bay was also badly damaged and lies in a state of disrepair but thanks to Marubeni, the station house will be repaired.

The Japanese-owned company also gave the police an open cheque to foot the cost of repairing the station which had to be abandoned by 16 officers who were stationed there.

“Marubeni CPH is pleased also to join with JPS in funding the re-roofing of the Old Harbour Bay Police Station. I understand that the police officers have been doing outstanding service in Old Harbour and are deserving of our assistance,” Kawamura said.

According to Deputy Commissioner Charles Scarlett, the station is responsible for protecting and serving 24 communities, with an estimated population of 10,000 in Old Harbour Bay.

“The village of Old Harbour Bay is one that survives off fishing and a lot people go there to have some of the good fried fish, so policing and security are essential to that community,” Scarlett said.

“We will take good care of the renovated station,” he assured the Marubeni representatives.