National Water Commission of Jamaica

Business View Caribbean 5 the island. The NWC’s operating expenses are paid for via user fees. “We don’t get support from the govern- ment,” says Barnett, “unless there’s a specific project that government wants us to do, then they will provide us with some capital resources, but, in general, the revenue we earn is what takes care of our operating expense and loan portfolio. In other words, we try to be as self-sufficient as possible.” The NWC operates within the policy context of the Gov- ernment of Jamaica’s goal of universal access to po- table water by the year 2025 and the establishment of sewerage systems in all major towns by 2020. This presents a serious challenge for the NWC because proper water supply and wastewater services are high- ly involved, complex, and costly - particularly in Jamai- ca where the need to pump water to and from remote areas over hilly terrain incurs very high electricity bills. According to Barnett, Jamaica also suffers from a high amount of water loss, or what is known as non-reve-