Economist calls for greater investment in water infrastructure

Economist Janiel McEwan says Jamaica's water shortage problem is now having a direct impact on business productivity.

He says businesses are being forced to spend more on water trucking, storage and other alternatives, making it more expensive to keep operations running.

 Pointing out that Jamaica's economy has already contracted 2.9% in the April to June quarter, “with agriculture down sharply.,” he highlighted the need “to stop treating drought as an emergency distribution problem. Water security is a, is an economic infrastructure.”

Until water infrastructure is funded like roads and power, he argued, “it will keep showing up as a productivity problem.”