KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, says public-private partnerships (PPPs) are an important feature of the Government’s growth and development plans.

“As a people, we can't move forward unless we have a strong and innovative entrepreneurial private sector that will come and work with the Government to create the public goods that we all benefit from,” Holness noted.

The Prime Minister was addressing a contract-signing ceremony between the Government and Rio Cobre Water Limited for the construction of a new US$77-million water treatment plant in Content, St Catherine.

The facility, which is expected to be the second largest in Jamaica, will be able to transfer 15 million imperial gallons of water, benefiting approximately 150,000 customers.

Speaking at the ceremony, held on Wednesday, November 23 at Jamaica House in Kingston, Holness said that the Government has remained strategic in its PPP Policy, noting that the arrangements have helped to attract private capital to develop critical public infrastructure.

“We have successfully used PPPs to develop our airports, our seaports and highways, and we have used it in power generation. Now [we’re] using it in water and we intend to use it in the provision of housing, educational services, infrastructure [and] in health as well,” he noted.

Holness said that PPPs have also brought “dead assets to life”.

“We had them [the assets] on our balance sheet but they were really of no value because we weren't able to use them. We weren't able to get them operational and we didn't have the money to bring those assets to life. Using PPPs, we have brought life to those assets,” he emphasised.