The Ministry of Water and Housing is responsible for,

1. The provision of potable water, proper sewage facilities and related services to all users and;
2. The facilitation of affordable housing solutions for Jamaicans.

In achieving its mandate, the Ministry of Water and Housing has its strategic objectives effectively aligned with the direction of the Government. As part of its approach for providing housing solutions for its citizenry, the Government intends to ensure that housing solutions will cater to the needs and affordability of different markets. Some of the measures by which the government intends to achieve this include:

• providing more structured options that will cater to different needs; two such options include build-on-own-land solutions to assist persons to build on land that they already own; and open-market purchases, among others;
• providing land for housing development, with an aim to reduce and eliminate the emergence of informal settlements; also referred to as squatter communities. Also, the government will seek to provide alternative sites where squatter communities can be relocated;
• identifying more affordable construction materials and methods; and
• reviewing the Rent Restriction Act with a view to increasing the hosing stock that is available for rental; among others.

Subsequently, the housing portfolio of the Ministry has as its objectives, to:

• providing affordable housing for low income earners;
• upgrading and regularize the tenure of residents of squatter settlements;
• developing sustainable communities by addressing the social and physical infrastructure and also by protecting the environment;
• develop a National Housing Policy; and
• amend the Rent Restriction Act.

As it relates to the provision of water, the Government is resolute in its effort to improve the management of this precious commodity, and increase the supply and distribution of same, within the framework of the National Water Sector Policy (1999). Water is life and is required to facilitate development, and to improve living conditions for all Jamaicans. As such the Government intends to:

• conduct assessments of available water resources, in order to identify water projects that will satisfy current and future demands;
• implement new water supply projects based on needs;
• implement water conservation and management programmes; among others.

Subsequently, the objectives of the Ministry as it relates to the provision of water include:

• the sustainable management of water resources;
• installing new water systems and improving existing ones;
• improved irrigation facilities for farming communities; and
• improved efficiency and effectiveness in the utilization of this resource.

It is the intention of the Ministry to as best as possible utilize its resources during this planning period (2008/2011), to ensure the achievement of the policies as will be embarked on by the Government of Jamaica. It is the Ministry's intention to so strategically align itself with these priorities and international development goals in order to continue to be efficient and effective at all levels of service delivery to the Jamaican populace.

This document provides a summary of the programmes, projects and activities to be executed by each Unit/Directorate/Department and Portfolio entities of the Ministry of Water and Housing during the course of the next financial year, 2008/09. The operational plan, together with the financial plan (budget) and the corporate plan are the basic guides for the Ministry and its portfolio entities and their respective operations. The Operational Plan will therefore form the basis for reporting on performance. Detailed information on the Corporate and Operational Plans may be had from the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Unit of the Ministry.

You May email us with General Queries and Suggestions at: info@mwh.gov.jm