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The Government has established an Energy Conservation Unit in the Cabinet Office so as to coordinate an effort across all ministries and agencies to reduce energy consumption by 15 per cent this year.
Making the announcement in his contribution to the 2008/09 Budget Debate in Gordon House yesterday (April 22), Prime Minister, Bruce Golding said, "I have instructed Permanent Secretaries to ensure that an Energy Coordinator is identified in every ministry, department and agency to be responsible for energy conservation and to ensure that we achieve the target".
Other initiatives being undertaken to reduce energy consumption include a decision to apply a lower rate of duty on diesel-engine vehicles, and this differential will be expanded as more energy-efficient diesel-engine vehicles come onto the market.
"The Minister of Finance will be undertaking a review of the tax regime as it applies to energy-consuming devices. We intend to reduce the duties on energy-efficient devices and penalize those that are energy-inefficient. Duties on solar and photovoltaic devices have already been reduced but there are parts and accessories that were omitted. We intend to reduce them as well," Mr. Golding informed.
"We intend to offer a range of tax exemptions, tax credits and accelerated depreciation allowances to businesses and households which invest in energy-saving installations and the Minister of Finance will outline the details of these measures as soon as they have been finalized," he added.
Meanwhile, the National Building Code, which will be promulgated this year, will include mandatory stipulations for energy efficiency. New hotels, for example, will be required to incorporate in their design a provision whereby lights and air-conditioning have to be activated by swipe-card room keys so that when you leave the room the lights and air-conditioning are automatically switched off.
In addition, Mr. Golding informed that the Minister of Transport and Works, Mike Henry is holding discussions with investors and stakeholders in the transport sector toward converting taxis to use LPG which can save up to 30 per cent in fuel costs. This has been done successfully in many countries, Mr. Golding noted.
The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications has also developed as an addendum to the National Energy Policy - a National Energy Conservation and Efficiency Policy - which is now before Cabinet and will be tabled in Parliament shortly.
"In order to encourage and facilitate these energy-saving initiatives, the Development Bank of Jamaica will be making available $1 billion in loans to finance projects based on renewable energy or designed to improve energy efficiency," Mr. Golding noted.
These loans, the Prime Minister said, "will be disbursed through approved financial institutions such as commercial banks, merchant banks, and small-business-friendly institutions such as credit unions, PC banks, and micro-financing institutions."
The loans will be for a period of six years with a one year moratorium on the principal, and can be used to finance up to 75 per cent of the project cost. They will be made available at an interest rate of 10 per cent.
http://www.jis.gov.jm/parliament/htm...NITIATIVES.asp
Making the announcement in his contribution to the 2008/09 Budget Debate in Gordon House yesterday (April 22), Prime Minister, Bruce Golding said, "I have instructed Permanent Secretaries to ensure that an Energy Coordinator is identified in every ministry, department and agency to be responsible for energy conservation and to ensure that we achieve the target".
Other initiatives being undertaken to reduce energy consumption include a decision to apply a lower rate of duty on diesel-engine vehicles, and this differential will be expanded as more energy-efficient diesel-engine vehicles come onto the market.
"The Minister of Finance will be undertaking a review of the tax regime as it applies to energy-consuming devices. We intend to reduce the duties on energy-efficient devices and penalize those that are energy-inefficient. Duties on solar and photovoltaic devices have already been reduced but there are parts and accessories that were omitted. We intend to reduce them as well," Mr. Golding informed.
"We intend to offer a range of tax exemptions, tax credits and accelerated depreciation allowances to businesses and households which invest in energy-saving installations and the Minister of Finance will outline the details of these measures as soon as they have been finalized," he added.
Meanwhile, the National Building Code, which will be promulgated this year, will include mandatory stipulations for energy efficiency. New hotels, for example, will be required to incorporate in their design a provision whereby lights and air-conditioning have to be activated by swipe-card room keys so that when you leave the room the lights and air-conditioning are automatically switched off.
In addition, Mr. Golding informed that the Minister of Transport and Works, Mike Henry is holding discussions with investors and stakeholders in the transport sector toward converting taxis to use LPG which can save up to 30 per cent in fuel costs. This has been done successfully in many countries, Mr. Golding noted.
The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications has also developed as an addendum to the National Energy Policy - a National Energy Conservation and Efficiency Policy - which is now before Cabinet and will be tabled in Parliament shortly.
"In order to encourage and facilitate these energy-saving initiatives, the Development Bank of Jamaica will be making available $1 billion in loans to finance projects based on renewable energy or designed to improve energy efficiency," Mr. Golding noted.
These loans, the Prime Minister said, "will be disbursed through approved financial institutions such as commercial banks, merchant banks, and small-business-friendly institutions such as credit unions, PC banks, and micro-financing institutions."
The loans will be for a period of six years with a one year moratorium on the principal, and can be used to finance up to 75 per cent of the project cost. They will be made available at an interest rate of 10 per cent.
http://www.jis.gov.jm/parliament/htm...NITIATIVES.asp
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