PRIVACY POLICY

1. Introduction

The National Irrigation Commission Limited (the NIC) recognises the importance of protecting your privacy and personal information.
The NIC respects your right to privacy and complies with Jamaica’s Data Protection Act 2020 (the Act) in relation to handling your personal information.

This Privacy Policy tells you:

• The kind of personal information the NIC may collect and hold about you;
• How the NIC may collect, use, store and disclose your personal information, and for what purpose;
• Your rights under the Act; and
• How the NIC uses information collected through its website.

2. Personal information collected by the NIC

To provide our services and fulfil our regulatory duties, the NIC may collect the following types of personal data:

• Identification Data: Includes full name, date of birth, or any valid government-issued ID.
• Contact Information: Residential and business addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers for communications.
• Demographic Data: Age, gender, and other demographic details.
• Professional and Occupational Information: Information about your role or occupation.
• Financial Information: Bank account details, income information, and tax data.
• Property and Land Information: Information on land ownership, leases, or permits.
• Educational and Training Records: Details about previous certifications or training.
• Health and Safety Data: Data relevant to compliance with health and environmental standards.
• Compliance and Regulatory Information: Licensing status, compliance history, and previous inspections for regulatory purposes.

3. Purpose of Processing Personal Data

The NIC collects and processes personal data to fulfil its statutory and public service mandates effectively. The primary purposes include:

• Eligibility Verification: To verify your identity, qualifications, and compliance with eligibility requirements for receiving subsidies, licenses, land allocations, or financial incentives. This ensures that only qualified individuals and entities access these public resources.
• Provision of Agricultural Support Services:
  • Technical Assistance: For providing guidance on sustainable practices, and irrigation management.
  • Financial Aid and Incentives: Processing applications for grants, loans, subsidies, and other forms of financial support offered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining through the NIC to foster growth in these sectors.
  • Production and Development Programmes: Supporting initiatives that to improve productivity and resource use.
• Regulation and Compliance Monitoring: Ensuring compliance with legal and environmental standards within the agriculture, fisheries, and mining sectors. This includes:
  • Conducting inspections, audits, and enforcement actions when necessary.
  • Monitoring compliance with safety protocols, sustainable practices, and land use requirements.
  • Tracking compliance history and license status for regulated activities.
• Health and Safety Oversight: Collecting data relevant to health and safety standards for high-risk activities. This enables the NIC to monitor adherence to required safety protocols, thereby protecting public health and environmental integrity.
• Resource Management and Conservation Efforts:
  • Managing Jamaica’s natural resources by overseeing sustainable agricultural practices, promoting conservation, and monitoring irrigation resources.
  • Facilitating land use planning and managing land allocations to prevent environmental degradation and ensure sustainable agricultural practices.
• Communication and Updates: Using contact information to communicate essential updates, policy changes, program announcements, and service adjustments.
• Program Evaluation and Service Improvement: Analysing demographic data, compliance records, and user feedback to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of our services. This data supports program improvements and helps us better meet the evolving needs of Jamaica’s agricultural sectors.
• Legal and Statutory Requirements: Meeting regulatory obligations under various Laws.

4. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data

The NIC processes personal data based on the following legal bases as outlined under the Jamaican Data Protection Act:

• Compliance with Legal Obligations: The NIC collects and processes personal data to fulfil its statutory and regulatory duties under Jamaican law. Various legislative acts empower the NIC to administer, operate and regulate irrigation services.
• Consent: In specific cases, the NIC may seek your consent to process your personal data. For example, if we collect data beyond what is required by law or for purposes not covered by public interest or legal obligation, we will ask for your explicit consent. You have the right to withdraw this consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
• Legitimate Interest: In certain cases, the NIC may rely on legitimate interests to process personal data. We only use this legal basis when processing is necessary to support the NIC’s functions in ways that do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms.