CARIBBEAN Cement Company Limited (CCCL) has budgeted $57 million to improve the Rockfort Mineral Bath Complex in St Andrew within the next five years.

According to Jorge Martinez, managing director of CCCL, improvement works to be undertaken within the short term with a view to reopening the facility includes the enhancement of the baths, the installation of plumbing fixtures, and the establishment of a robust security presence to ensure the safety of all who visit.

Martinez said the company has been listening attentively to the numerous calls for reopening and vowed that this would be done soon.

“I want to assure the public that we share in this commitment wholeheartedly,” said Martinez as he delivered remarks at a ceremony to sign the 25-year Rockfort Mineral Bath and Spa lease agreement at the Trafalgar Road offices of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport in New Kingston last Wednesday.

The culture ministry is the parent ministry of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), the leaseholders of the mineral bath.

Martinez added that much like its parent company, Cemex, CCCL understands the importance of responsible stewardship of natural resources and the environment.

“It is with this ethos in mind that we pledge our commitment to the preservation and restoration of the Rockfort Mineral Bath,” added Martinez.

In the meantime, chairman of the board of CCCL, Parris A Lyew-Ayee, underlined the importance of the agreement between the cement company and its partner, JNHT.

“Our vision is clear: to restore and renew this iconic site, enabling large numbers of local and international visitors to experience the world-famous therapeutic benefits of its sparkling mineral waters,” said Lyew-Ayee.

“Caribbean Cement Company and Cemex are passionately dedicated to this project, viewing it as a vital contribution to both local and global communities. Our commitment is to build a better Jamaica, one that honours and preserves its natural and cultural treasures,” added Lyew-Ayee.

For her part, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange commended the JNHT for the role it played in bringing the project to fruition.

“I also want to commend Carib Cement Company, particularly its chairman, who personally took it upon himself to move this project forward. I really want to thank him and the cement company for stepping up to the plate,” said Grange.

She expressed satisfaction that the lease signing, and subsequent improvements, will be a part of the heritage of Jamaica and the Rockfort Mineral Bath history.

Included in the lease agreement are UNESCO policies which underscore the Government’s commitment to the development of this honoured site.

CCCL has agreed to uphold the guidelines set by UNESCO for the preservation and maintenance of the property.

Recognised as a national monument by JNHT in 1992, Rockfort Mineral Bath is a therapeutic haven. It also stands as a testament to the resilience, history, and shared identity of the people of Jamaica.