Aubyn Hill names improvement in water supply, distribution of land titles among priorities
NEW minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Aubyn Hill says improvement in water supply, distribution of land titles, and jobs will be given urgent focus.
Speaking with JIS News shortly after taking the Oath of Office at King’s House, in St Andrew, on Sunday, Senator Hill emphasised that the strengthening of the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, water availability and empowering people with land titles are crucial to economic growth.
“Those three, and others are very important, and are going have immediate focus…to make sure that we get good spend, and good growth in those areas, because the whole idea is, Jamaicans must get jobs, and the economy must return stronger,” the new minister said.
He argued that the National Land Agency (NLA) must be robust in the delivery of titles, so that people can turn them into “earning assets”, and “we want them to get their titles”.
Senator Hill pointed out that the National Water Commission (NWC) will be corporatised, so that it can attract private capital, and raise the US$3.5 billion, to meet the water needs of the population, without adding to the national debt.
He said the move will enable the NWC to sell shares to investors, “51 per cent and above to private enterprise, so that it is no longer a debt on the Government’s books.”
“We are going to look for a special investor who can manage water, and bring money to the table, and encourage other investors to invest in the entity,” Senator Hill noted.
He said a lot of work was done to improve water supply by the Economic Growth Council, which he recently served as executive director, and several sewerage systems are being upgraded.
Senator Hill said that strong lobbying efforts will be made to get investors in the Diaspora, and elsewhere to do business in Jamaica, so that the economy will be stronger in the shortest possible time.
Hill, who is a banker, was a special investment ambassador for Jamaica. He also chaired several State entity boards, such as the NWC, the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), and was also deputy president of the Senate.
Senator Hill also served as chairman of the St Elizabeth Parish Development Committee.
