Kingsley Thomas to take up position as NWC head January 2

Kingsley Thomas, a high profile former Jamaican public servant, is returning to the field of public service as the new President of the National Water Commission (NWC).

A statement Sunday night by Robert Pickersgill, Minister of Water, Land, Environment & Climate Change, confirmed Thomas' appointment, which takes effect on January 2.

RJR News first reported last month that the former NHT Chairman had been short-listed for the post which became vacant on November 1 when Albert Gordon stepped down to become Director-General of the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR).

Kingsley Thomas was selected by the NWC’s Board of Commissioners from 17 applicants for the post. He was managing director of the Development Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) for more than 16 years and served on the boards of several entities, including the Bank of Jamaica and the National Housing Trust (NHT) where he was the chairman for 14 years.

Reversing revenue loss

Mr. Pickersgill has served notice, in the meantime, that the new NWC head will be placing great emphasis on the collection of arrears from customers and reversing revenue losses at the entity.

Mr. Pickersgill told RJR News that both issues are in need of urgent attention.

“There are many areas where customers are not metred. You can’t run the Commission with those: you have to have to have the pipes, you have to have the metres…people must pay their water rates. Wherever I go these days - and I’ve been to quite a few commissionings - I insist that water is not to be turned on until the locations are metred,” said Mr. Pickersgill.