Thousands benefit from NWC amnesty

More than 21,000 customers have benefited from the National Water Commission (NWC) Amnesty Programme as of March 14.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness provided the update during his contribution to the 2025/26 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives last week.

"Total reconnections, so far, total 3,271, with a further 5,135 awaiting reconnections. This has yielded over $207 million in revenue collected for the NWC and that would have been uncollectible otherwise. We have also written off over $600 million of debt from those who most needed it, restoring the supply of water and returning dignity to households," Holness said.

He noted that the amnesty is helping the most vulnerable and, as such, has instructed the NWC to extend the programme for a further two months. Last November, Holness announced that the NWC would provide an amnesty to customers cut off from the utility for more than six months.

This amnesty has benefited pensioners, Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) beneficiaries and members of the disabled community, with up to a 100 per cent reprieve, and 50 per cent for other categories of customers.