The National Water Commission (NWC) Amnesty Programme has been extended for 2 months.

Prime Minister, Dr. Andrew Holness instructed the NWC to extend the programme, which was initially set to expire today.

In a statement this afternoon, the NWC announced that the programme, which benefits pensioners, PATH beneficiaries and members of the disabled community among others, will now run until May 31, 2025.

The NWC stated that the extension will give customers more time to benefit from significant debt relief and re-connection waivers.

The commission acknowledged the challenges faced by many customers, as reflected in the number of queries submitted over the past three months.

It said the new deadline provides additional time for those in need to access assistance and have their applications processed.

This extension continues to provide access to key initiatives including 50% write-offs on disconnected accounts.

Residential accounts disconnected for six months or more will benefit from a 50% debt write-off upon payment of the remaining 50% along with a waiver of re-connection fees.

According to the NWC, pensioners, Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) beneficiaries and individuals living with disabilities will continue to benefit from a 100% discount on debts older than two years.

This applies to both active and inactive accounts.

The NWC added that customers with outstanding balances can take advantage of tailored discount and repayment plans.

These plans include a 25% discount for customers with arrears of 90 days to 2 years, with 6-12 months to settle the balance.

This plan is likely for customers experiencing leaks.

For customers with arrears of 3 to 5 years, discounts of 30% to 35% are offered with 3-18 months to clear the balance.

Customers with debts of 6 to 11 years can benefit from a 40% discount with up to 6 months to settle.

For customers with arrears of over 11 years, a 50% discount is offered, with up to 3 months to settle.

Customers may contact the NWC for further details and to determine eligibility.

The NWC remains committed to supporting its customers and ensuring that Jamaicans have access to reliable water services.

As of March 14, more than 21,000 customers had benefited from the NWC Amnesty Programme.

Re-connections so far exceed 3,200, with a further 5,000 awaiting re-connections.

Through the amnesty, the government has written off over $600 million of debt.

The NWC has also collected $207 million in revenue.