Wave of relief

“Mi did affi run come down here!” exclaimed Constance Duncan, a 57-year-old teacher from Olympic Gardens, who made a desperate dash to the National Water Commission (NWC) head office on Marescaux Road in Kingston just hours before today’s Debt Amnesty Programme deadline.

After being without water for over five years, Duncan finally managed to settle her long-overdue bill, which had climbed to more than $200,000 – most of it accumulated by relatives after she moved out of her family home.

“I was planning to wait until the summer when school is out, but when a coworker told me the deadline was tomorrow, mi did affi run come down here” she said.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Duncan said she had cried literal tears when she first visited and was told the bill as she knew she would not be able to clear it anytime soon.

However, now with a 60 per cent write-off offered under the amnesty, Duncan was able to pay the remaining balance and is looking forward to the water service being restored.

“I am very grateful, and I think it’s a good thing because many people are paying for water they didn’t use, and I’m one of them,” she said.

She urged others with outstanding bills to take advantage of the programme before it closes.

“We always cuss the Government and say dem not doing anything – but they’re doing something now. Mek use a di opportunity.

“If you can’t pay it all, still go in and negotiate,” she said.

CALLS FOR EXTENSION

Duncan also called for the programme to be extended due to the overwhelming turnout.

She explained that when she arrived at 2 p.m., the tents were overflowing and that some persons left because of the crowd.

Similarly, Claudette, a 73-year-old retired craft vendor from Franklyn Town, was grateful for a 50 per cent write-off on a bill of over $100,000.

“Because of the violence in the area, I left and was in the country for months and other people were using the water,” she explained.

“It’s a great thing, it’s good to know you pay the bill,” she said while acknowledging the importance of paying for the service.

“If everybody just gets it free, who will pay the workers?” she asked.

Another beneficiary, who travelled from Stony Hill with her neighbour, also called for a further extension.

She shared that she had a bill for $80,000 and was given a 50 per cent write-off.

However, she said, “Oh my God, wish they would give me two more months, I just have until tomorrow to pay the other half.”

Her neighbour, however, had more luck as a PATH beneficiary who had lost her job.

“Dem wipe it all away and as a single mada I am very happy,” she added.

In a bid to accommodate last-minute applicants, all NWC commercial offices across the island will open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.

The programme, which began on January 2, with an original March deadline offers substantial write-offs and reconnection benefits, particularly for the country’s most vulnerable groups.

OVER 7,000 BENEFICIARIES

Speaking in the House of Representatives as he made his contribution to the Sectoral Debate on Tuesday, Matthew Samuda, minister with responsibility for water, reported that 7,901 customers have already benefited from the initiative, having had their debts cleared and services restored.

“Total reconnections, thus far – 7,901 customers have benefited, had their debts written off and been reconnected to the commission. This has also yielded some $547 million in uncollectable revenue, but more importantly, through this initiative, the administration has removed $1.4 billion of debt from vulnerable NWC customers,” the minister added.

“For those who have engaged with the National Water Commission, they don’t need to worry about the date, once their names are in the system before the end of the month (May), we will be working through the process and we intend to reconnect all customers,” the minister said.

So far, 34,000 persons have benefited from the amnesty.

Qualifying residential customers who have been disconnected for six months or more will receive a waiver of the reconnection fee and a 50 per cent write-off of their outstanding balance once the other half is paid.

In more targeted cases, particularly pensioners and PATH beneficiaries, those who have debts older than two years may get their debts completely written off.

The amnesty has seen overwhelming public response.

In February, Samuda shared that more than 10,000 applications were submitted with 1,674 customers reconnected and another 2,489 approved and awaiting reconnection.

He confirmed then that the NWC had already written off up to $238 million in arrears while collecting nearly $99 million in payments from participating customers.

In the meantime, Samuda said on Tuesday that the Government is exploring the possibility of extending a similar programme to small and micro businesses, which have expressed interest in the relief initiative.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com