Caribbean News
GROUND BROKEN FOR US$77M RIO COBRE WATER TREATMENT PLANT PROJECT
KINGSTON, March 14 (JIS):
Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Thursday (March 14), broke ground for the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant in Content, St. Catherine.
The project is valued at US$77 million or J$12 billion.
The plant, to be built at a cost of US$77 million (J$12 billion), is expected to be the second largest in Jamaica.
It will be able to transfer 15 million gallons of water to benefit approximately 150,000 customers or approximately 600,000 residents in Kingston and St. Andrew, Spanish Town and Portmore.
Construction is slated to be completed in two years and will be managed through a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement between the National Water Commission (NWC) and Rio Cobre Water Limited.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Holness said the scope of the works will entail the construction of an intake system, inclusive of lift and backup pumps; the construction of a conveyance pipeline from the river to the treatment plant site; the construction of a 15-million-gallon capacity treatment plant and interconnections to the NWC’s distribution network.
“When the project is complete, we can expect improved water supply and reliability for St. Catherine and the Kingston and St. Andrew (KSA) areas, better resilience in the water sector during periods of drought and improved water supply to facilitate our continued development in the business and residential sectors,” he added.
The Prime Minister noted that during the worst period of the drought last year, the supply shortfall for the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA) was 12.5 million gallons daily, adding that when the additional 15 million gallons per day comes on stream from the project, that supply will be totally covered, plus a surplus.
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“But with worsening climate change, we have to continue to build even more capacity to ensure that we have enough buffers,” Mr. Holness said.
At the project’s completion, there will be a 23-year period of the plant’s operation by the private partners, after which ownership of the facility will be transferred to the NWC.
The PPP arrangement may also be renewed for an additional five years after the expiration of the initial 23 years.
Prime Minister Holness further stated that the treatment plant will reduce the need for the trucking of water and lessen, if not eliminate, the need for water restrictions to affected areas during periods of drought.
“This is a win for the NWC, its customers and for all Jamaica,” he emphasised.
Mr. Holness also informed that the Forest Hills Distribution Network upgrade will be undertaken in parallel with the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant to ensure benefits to the people of West Rural St. Andrew, including Red Hills to Cooper’s Hill, which have faced chronic water issues.
He also mentioned the Marescaux Road Wells rehabilitation project, which will be commissioned shortly.
“This combination of project investments will ensure that we will be well on our way to achieving water resilience in the Kingston and St. Andrew Metropolitan Area, Portmore and St. Catherine, prior to 2030. This will also diversify our resources and reduce reliance on the Hermitage dam and the Mona Reservoir,” Prime Minister Holness said.
For his part, Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, said the project was long in coming.
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“If we acknowledge and feel the heat in March, not yet summer, it is representative of the fact that our climate is changing and our weather patterns are shifting, and it speaks to the absolute critical nature of this project,” Mr. Samuda said.
He noted that from October 2022 to March 2023, Jamaica experienced its worst drought ever, adding that in the height of that, the KSA received eight per cent of its 30-year average rainfall.
“So, it speaks to the fact that this project is indeed absolutely critical. During that drought, Kingston and St. Andrew was short 12½ million gallons daily. This project will add 15 million gallons to the system to assist in distributing water for Portmore and KSA,” Mr. Samuda said.
Meanwhile, Country Manager of Vinci Construction Grands Projects and Director of Rio Cobre Water Limited, Timothée Delebarre, said the nature of the project demonstrates a collaboration between public and private sector.
“We believe that this project should be a cornerstone of an economic model in Jamaica, whereby the Government and the private sector… work hand in hand in developing the country’s infrastructure,” Mr. Delebarre stated.
For his part, NWC Chairman, Michael Shaw, said the Rio Cobre Water Treatment Plant forms a critical part of the Commission’s strategic plan, which is to improve and maintain the water supply to the greater Spanish Town area, Portmore and the Corporate Area.
“When completed and delivering water to the NWC’s network, it will contribute significantly to NWC achieving three of the four strategic objectives. They are improving coverage, revenue and cashflow, increasing operational efficiencies and improving customer service,” Mr. Shaw stated.
Member of Parliament for St. Catherine North Central, Natalie Neita Garvey, and NWC Vice President, Glaister Cunningham, also spoke during the ceremony.
CONTACT: LATONYA LINTON
Barbados, February 12, 2026 – Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley was this afternoon officially sworn in for a third consecutive term, hours after delivering one of the most emphatic election victories in Caribbean political history — another complete capture of all 30 seats in Barbados’ House of Assembly.
The ceremony, conducted by President His Excellency Lt. Col. The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, marked the formal start of a new
administration following the February 11, 2026 general election, which returned the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) to power with a renewed and overwhelming mandate.
In a statement after taking the oath, Mottley said she accepted the responsibility “with humility and resolve,” thanking the people of Barbados for placing their trust in her leadership once again and urging national unity as her government begins its new term. Attorney Wilfred Abrahams was also sworn in as Attorney General.
The result is historic not only for its scale but for its consistency. This is the third straight general election in which the BLP has won every constituency, reinforcing Mottley’s dominance in national politics and extending an unmatched era of one-party control in the modern democratic period.
Voting day unfolded under the watch of a CARICOM Election Observation Mission, led by Antigua and Barbuda’s Supervisor of Elections Ian Hughes and supported by senior electoral officials from Belize and Jamaica. The team engaged key institutions ahead of the poll and monitored the process across the island.
Regional leaders were swift in their congratulations.
Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali described the outcome as “emphatic and historic,” saying the clean sweep reflected how deeply Mottley’s
leadership has connected with Barbadians and expressing optimism about strengthening ties between the two countries.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness also hailed the victory, noting that her re-election provides an opportunity to deepen cooperation within CARICOM and advance shared regional priorities.
The scale of the win again leaves Barbados without a parliamentary opposition, a reality that has become a defining feature of the political landscape since 2018. Supporters argue the repeated mandate reflects public confidence in Mottley’s stewardship of economic reform, climate diplomacy, the transition to a republic, and Barbados’ expanding global influence.
Now, newly sworn in and backed by another unanimous parliamentary majority, Mottley begins a third term with both extraordinary political capital and equally high expectations at home and across the region.
Liberty Caribbean is Diamond Sponsor of CANTO Connect 2026 and 42nd AGM
Port of Spain, TRININDAD & TOBAGO (February 1, 2026) — Liberty Caribbean, the operators of Flow. Liberty Business and BTC, has reaffirmed its commitment to turning regional connectivity into measurable economic and social outcomes as Diamond Sponsor of CANTO Connect 2026 and its 42nd Annual General Meeting.
CANTO is the leading regional body that brings together telecommunications operators, ICT providers, regulators, governments, and industry partners to support the development of the Caribbean’s digital and communications landscape.
Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad & Tobago delivered the sponsor’s address on behalf of Liberty Caribbean.
“The work of laying fibre and lighting towers is done; connectivity is now our foundation,” she said.
“The real task before us is to translate that foundation into innovation, productivity and prosperity for our people. Intelligent connectivity,
such as networks designed for 5G, AI and IoT, will be the platform for smarter public services, more resilient systems and scaled opportunities for Caribbean entrepreneurs.”
Martin-Sulgan emphasised that infrastructure alone will not deliver sustainable progress.
“Digital progress must become digital prosperity. That means creating career pathways for young people, helping local businesses scale and ensuring citizens across our communities can fully participate in the digital economy. A connected Caribbean should also be a confident, creative and globally competitive Caribbean,” she said.
Liberty Caribbean is represented by a senior delegation at CANTO Connect to support the conference objectives of aligning policy, investment and execution across the region under this year’s theme ‘Elevate the Caribbean – From Connectivity to Global Competitiveness’.
Liberty Caribbean’s delegation includes Inge Smidts, Chief Executive Officer; Desron Bynoe, VP and General Manager, Flow Barbados; Susanna O’Sullivan, VP and General Manager, North Caribbean; Marilyn Sealy, Senior Director, Head of Communications; Dominic Boon, VP, People; Daniel Neiva, Chief Commercial Officer, B2B; Bradley Ramcharan, Director, B2B, Trinidad & Tobago; Yolande Headley, Country Manager, Dutch East Caribbean; and Jade Reymond, Country Manager, Flow Anguilla.
Martin-Sulgan thanked CANTO’s local secretariat for convening the forum and urged delegates to convert conversation into action.
“If we align policy, capital and capability, the Caribbean can move from connectivity to competitiveness. Liberty Caribbean will continue to invest in resilient networks, nurture homegrown talent and partner to deliver measurable social and economic value across our markets,” she said.
