KINGSTON, Jamaica— Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Matthew Samuda has responded to videos being circulated on digital platforms of several old water trucks parked in a lot, stating that the vehicles were purchased by former People’s National Party (PNP) minister Karl Blythe under the “failed” Rapid Response System.

Senator Samuda while speaking during the Sitting of the Senate on Friday sought to dispel any assumptions that the trucks in the video are being used by the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration to distribute water to communities affected by severe drought.

“Some things that I have seen circulating around on WhatsApp and other places of the Rapid Response System and I saw a video that showed some old trucks that were bought by former Minister Blythe. Firstly, if they were bought by former Minister Blythe you wouldn’t expect them to still be alive today,” Samuda said.

“The next issue and what Jamaicans should be aware of and remember… is that we got all of a year out of those trucks because they were not fit for purpose for Jamaica’s terrain— the gear boxes did not work— that the government even explored legal actions in trying to recover the funds because of that so sharing something that collapsed under the former PNP administration and trying to put it on this administration is quite something,” he added.

The Rapid Response System was initially created to temporarily provide water to communities affected by severe drought. However the senator, on Friday described the programme as “a disaster fraught with audit challenges and several corruption allegations”.

Samuda disclosed that it was the JLP that shut down the programme.

“Now we also need to remember… the Rapid Response System was a disaster but it was also fraught with audit challenges and several corruption allegations and it was shut down by this administration to cut off a ridiculous feeding tree for the former administration’s political activists,” he said.

In response to the country’s longstanding drought issues experienced during the annual dry season which usually runs from December to April, Senator Samuda outlined the investments the government has made to assist communities that are drastically affected.

He mentioned the announcement made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in the House of Representative earlier this week that $150 million has been allocated to combat the severe drought conditions affecting communities.

“This administration transferred the assets to the Ministry of Local Governments so the assets are in use for service delivery of the Jamaican people without any governance issues. We have also continued to invest on an annual basis. Last year we bought eight additional trucks for the National Water Commission, this year we are in procurement for eight additional trucks.

“And we will buy another eight next year and if we continue needing space we will build in that emergency response but make no bones about it— and the people must know— that those trucks (in the videos) were from a failed PNP investment and it also hurt Jamaicans’ water delivery systems because a lot of the money was wasted and we are not going to pull back from that fact. It is a legacy of failure,” Samuda reiterated.