MINISTER without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Matthew Samuda has sought to clarify the processes involved in the Government’s various water (black) tank distribution programmes.

Fielding questions during a post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, Samuda said the Government’s black tank distribution programmes, which have been introduced to mitigate against drought conditions, are being conducted on a needs basis and in an organised and thorough manner.

According to Samuda, there is a social assessment programme in place where Members of Parliament (MPs) submit the names of residents of their constituency in need of black tanks. This then triggers a rigorous verification process.

“There is a social assessment committee that actually visits the location so we confirm that these addresses have no tanks. [Then] we look at the economic circumstances of households to ensure that it is the most vulnerable who are indeed getting it. We then confirm that the recipient on the list is actually the person at that address,“ said Samuda.

He argued that the distribution of the black tanks could be done quicker but, “We have ensured that the persons who are getting those tanks… are indeed those most in need and that the audit trail is clean”.

Samuda pointed out that during the drought last year, the Government purchased 3,000 tanks and distributed them in the areas that were most affected.

He said that assessment of the areas for the tanks to be distributed in was done by the National Water Commission (NWC) and the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development using the data from the Water Resources Authority (WRA), and the Meteorological Service of Jamaica.

“There is a secondary programme…where a further 3,000 tanks were procured along with the accompanying infrastructure that facilitates rainwater harvesting systems. This is being done in 14 constituencies which were most affected last year in the eastern end of the island,” said Samuda.

He told the media briefing that in relation to another upcoming initiative announced last year, which involves the purchase and distribution of 10,000 black tanks, under which each MP will have 100 tanks available to them for distribution in their constituency, the handout will not be done haphazardly.

“We will provide them with the data as to which communities qualify. This will be based on the utility footprint both with the National Water Commission’s map, as well as the utility footprint of the municipal water systems. So it’s not for all communities…It is specific and the metrics associated with same will be provided to the Members of Parliament and indeed to the country through a ministry paper in Parliament when that distribution of that 10,000 block actually starts.

“The programme is very involved and we’ve ensured that we’re approaching it in such a way that those who are most in need and most vulnerable and most water insecure get first,” said Samuda as he noted various Government entities have their own black tank programmes.

These include the Rural Agricultural Development Authority, the National Irrigation Commission, and the municipal corporations.

“The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation has two distinctly different black tank programmes but we are ensuring that Jamaicans have access to residential storage and agricultural storage at a rate that they’ve never had before,” said Samuda.

The minister further argued that the black tank distribution programmes have been hampered by the lack of supply in the market.

“We may have the budget for 30,000 [to] 50,000 tanks in one year, but the market capacity to provide 30,000 to 50,000 tanks in one year simply is not currently there. There are three or four manufacturers and their capacity is, we believe, almost exhausted,” said Samuda as he pointed to the present construction boom where there are requirements for developers to have water storage in place.

“So many of your larger developers have forward bought the tanks and booked time on the production lines,” added Samuda who argued the importing the tanks is not the best option given the high cost and the livelihood of damage.

Samuda said the Government has encouraged those in the area of production of water storage facilities to ramp up their capacity.

“I am aware of one who was already made an investment and another company that is likely so to do soon. We expect to significantly increase the capacity of the market with the Government’s commitment to purchase more water tanks,” he said.