News from the OPM

JMD $545 Million National Workforce Transformation Initiative to Deliver AI Certification to Every Constituency in Jamaica The Government of Jamaica today announced GAINS, the Growing AI Innovation and National Skills Programme. GAINS is a national workforce transformation initiative designed to deliver AI skills certification and direct employment pathways to each of Jamaica's 63 constituencies. The announcement was made in Parliament on Tuesday by Dr. the Honourable Andrew Wheatley, Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects, during the Sectoral Debate. GAINS is designed to ensure that Jamaica's AI economy is inclusive from the outset, reaching rural communities, at-risk youth, low-skilled workers, and unattached young people who risk being displaced by automation rather than empowered by it. HOW GAINS WORKS GAINS will utilize enhanced Universal Service Fund Community Access Points. These are digital infrastructure already present in communities across Jamaica. GAINS will deliver a six-week AI Mastery Curriculum built around Jamaica's national priority sectors. Every participant will graduate with a nationally recognised HEART/NSTA Trust certificate, a live portfolio and a direct pathway to employment, freelancing, or enterprise creation. For qualifying at-risk youth, a participation stipend of JMD $50,000 per month will be available. This gesture is in recognition…

Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness says Jamaica must uphold the standards, conventions, and seriousness that have guided public life, warning that the country must resist any attempt to weaken the principles that have supported national leadership and governance for decades. Speaking at the recent floral tribute for former Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Edward Seaga, at National Heroes Park, Prime Minister Holness said Mr. Seaga’s life and legacy are a reminder that politics must be treated as an instrument for national development, not as a stage for applause, short-term attention, or political theatre. The Prime Minister said Mr. Seaga approached public service with discipline, structure, and seriousness, noting that his contribution to Jamaica was reflected not only in the institutions he built, but also in the standards he upheld. “To remember Edward Seaga properly is not to freeze him in history. It is to study the seriousness with which he approached Jamaica’s future. It is to recognise the value of institutions. It is to uphold standards in public life,” Dr. Holness said. Dr. Holness said Jamaica must reject any approach to politics that demeans public office, lowers the quality of leadership, and weakens national purpose. “Today, there is…

  Prime Minister Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness today announced the appointment of Ambassador Major General (ret’d) Antony Anderson as Chief Executive Officer of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA). The announcement was made at today’s Special Post-Cabinet Press Briefing. Ambassador Anderson will assume duties on June 1. The Prime Minister said the appointment comes at a critical stage in Jamaica’s post-Hurricane Melissa recovery and reconstruction programme, as the Government moves to accelerate implementation while maintaining strong systems of accountability, transparency and fiscal discipline. NaRRA has been established to coordinate and drive Jamaica’s national reconstruction and resilience agenda following the passage of Hurricane Melissa, with a mandate to support the timely delivery of major infrastructure, social and economic recovery projects across sectors. “Major General Anthony Anderson brings to NaRRA the discipline, integrity and operational command required for this moment. Jamaica is entering a period of reconstruction that must be defined by speed, but also by transparency, proper planning and accountability. His experience leading national institutions, responding to crises, and strengthening disaster risk management systems makes him well suited to drive this mandate. NaRRA’s mission is to build stronger, safer and more resilient communities. My Administration will ensure that every dollar…

Prime Minister Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has confirmed that the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority Bill has now been assented into law, formally establishing the framework for the country’s accelerated reconstruction and resilience programme following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. The new law provides the legal foundation for the work of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA), which will coordinate and drive major reconstruction and resilience projects. Prime Minister Holness said the passage of the legislation marks an important step in Jamaica’s recovery and long-term development agenda. “The passage of the NaRRA legislation is a decisive step in Jamaica’s national reconstruction effort. Hurricane Melissa caused significant damage, but it has also created an opportunity for us to rebuild in a way that is stronger, faster, better coordinated and more resilient. NaRRA will allow us to move with the urgency that this moment requires, while maintaining the discipline, transparency and accountability that the Jamaican people expect.” The Prime Minister has also announced that list of priority reconstruction and resilience projects is now being considered by Cabinet. These projects will form part of a coordinated national programme aimed at restoring damaged infrastructure, strengthening public assets, improving service delivery and…

“Donated funds will be used to purchase building materials. It will be used to purchase things that are tangible, traceable, and for which it is easy to account.” -Prime Minister Holness   Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness has outlined the Government’s strategic approach to managing Hurricane Melissa recovery funds, emphasizing that donated monies are being deliberately directed towards tangible reconstruction efforts such as roofing repairs and building materials, rather than short-term expenditure that cannot be properly accounted for. Speaking today during Labour Day activities at the Lewis Town Early Childhood Institute in St. Elizabeth, Prime Minister Holness addressed recent public discussion surrounding the Auditor General’s report on Hurricane Melissa recovery spending, noting that while the criticism may appear reasonable “on the face of it,” the Government took deliberate decisions to ensure accountability, transparency, and long-term value for affected Jamaicans. “Not everything that appears urgent is wise and not everything that is wise appears immediately. The Government wasn’t being inefficient. The Government was being very strategic and very efficient,” the Prime Minister stated. Prime Minister Holness explained that Jamaica is projected to spend approximately J$67 billion on hurricane relief and recovery efforts, including restoration of electricity, roads, schools,…

Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness has reiterated the Government’s commitment to the full deployment of integrated camera systems across the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), including body-worn cameras, patrol car cameras, and national surveillance infrastructure, as part of a broader drive to strengthen accountability and operational effectiveness within the Force. Prime Minister Holness said the policy direction is clear: technology must increasingly support modern policing and enhance the transparency of police-citizen interactions, particularly in high-risk and high-contact environments. “The policy of the Government is to fully deploy camera systems for the police force. Just to be clear, there have been some discussions that seem to suggest that the government doesn't intend that everyone who interacts with the public should have a body camera. That's not the case,” Prime Minister Holness stated. He explained that the broader system includes closed-circuit television coverage integrated into command and control centres, the continued expansion of the JamaicaEye surveillance network, and the development of a modern C5-type command centre to enhance national security coordination. The Prime Minister also noted that while limited capability currently exists, work is underway to equip police patrol vehicles with in-car camera systems, which will form part of the wider…

Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness has commended the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) for its continued progress in reducing violent crime and strengthening national security, while reaffirming the Government’s commitment to maintaining the operational superiority of the State over organized criminal networks. Speaking on Friday (May 22) at the 91st Staff and Junior Command Course graduation ceremony at the National Police College of Jamaica, Prime Minister Holness said the JCF has undergone significant transformation in capability, professionalism, and operational effectiveness, supported by sustained Government investment in training, intelligence, technology, and tactical capacity. “We have invested heavily in training the JCF. I speak without fear of contradiction that the JCF has the most advanced tactical teams in this region. There is no question about that. I speak with great confidence that gone are the days when any organized criminal entity in the country could take on the JCF and win. That doesn’t exist again. There is no organized criminal entity in Jamaica, or indeed anywhere else in this region, that could take on the JCF and win,” the Prime Minister said. Prime Minister Holness said Jamaica has asked much of its police officers, including confronting gangs, disrupting transnational criminal…

“The objective of the State is to preserve life. I want that to be the default position. We do not pay taxes to fund the police force for it to be the instrument that takes life or for any arm of the State for that matter. The objective is for the police force to preserve and protect life.” -Prime Minister Holness   Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness says the preservation of life and professional standards must remain the defining principles of modern policing, stressing that while officers operate in high-risk environments requiring rapid tactical judgment, the use of force must remain lawful and proportionate. Addressing the 91st Staff and Junior Command Course graduation ceremony at the National Police College of Jamaica today, Prime Minister Holness reflected on the recent fatal police shooting of Latoya Bulgin in Granville, St. James, and urged greater judgment, accountability, discipline, and command supervision within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). The Prime Minister extended condolences to the family and community of Ms. Bulgin and noted the deep national concern generated by the incident, which has also attracted international attention. “The objective of the State is to preserve life. I want that to be…

Task Force directed to produce Cabinet-ready policy recommendation within two weeks as Government moves to protect national data and build responsible AI competence across the public service Dr. the Honourable Andrew Wheatley, MP, JP, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects, has formally directed the National Artificial Intelligence Task Force to provide an urgent policy recommendation for Cabinet on the immediate advancement of AI Literacy across the Government of Jamaica. The Task Force has been given two weeks to respond. A Matter of National Urgency The directive follows the Minister’s assessment that AI adoption across Ministries, Departments and Agencies is already underway, and in some instances ahead of the safeguards needed to govern it responsibly. Minister Wheatley stated that “It has become increasingly clear that a number of government entities have already begun to use, experiment with, or otherwise engage artificial intelligence technologies in the execution of their functions,” adding that this “raises serious concerns, particularly where such use may be taking place in advance of the necessary policy, governance, risk management, accountability, and operational guardrails required for the responsible use of AI in the public sector.” A Structured AI…