Addressing the Opening Ceremony of the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference today in Montego Bay, Prime Minister Holness said criminal organizations now operate across borders, requiring an equally coordinated response from law enforcement agencies.

“The criminals have representatives in the diaspora as well. As they become more transnational, the Government of Jamaica has increased its transnational cooperation with other countries and security forces to make sure that criminals have no place to hide,” Dr. Holness said.

The Prime Minister highlighted expanded cooperation with the United States and other international partners, which has contributed to major law enforcement operations, including recent actions targeting lottery scamming networks and the illegal trafficking of firearms into Jamaica.

Dr. Holness said the strengthened security strategy is delivering measurable results. Homicides have declined by 67 per cent over the past four years, including a further 22.5 per cent reduction as of May this year compared to the same period in 2025.

“These are not just numbers. These are lives saved. Communities where people are beginning to breathe a little easier. Businesses that can now open later. Young men who are alive today because violence did not take their lives,” he said.

The Prime Minister noted that the transformation of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), increased investment in national security, and stronger intelligence-led policing have been critical to the country’s progress.

However, he underscored that improved security is not only about reducing crime but creating the conditions for economic growth, investment, and national development.

“The key to the JCF and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is to create a space where communities can flourish and where businesses can grow and flourish as well,” Dr. Holness stated.

Addressing members of the diaspora, the Prime Minister acknowledged that crime has historically been one of the greatest concerns among Jamaicans living abroad who wish to return home or invest in the country.

“As members of the diaspora, one of the first things you point out to me is, ‘Prime Minister, I would love to come back, but the crime.’ As you can see, we’re getting that under control,” he said.

Prime Minister Holness reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to driving crime rates down even further as Jamaica continues its efforts to build a safer, more secure, and more prosperous society.

Speaking today at the Opening Ceremony of the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay, Prime Minister Holness said Jamaica’s next phase of development will require a fundamental shift in attitudes, values, and systems to support faster decision-making, faster execution, and greater productivity across society.

“We are the fastest people in the world. So, we need the cultural revolution in the way in which we do business so that we can match the speed on the track with the speed of doing business,” the Prime Minister said.

“We must become the fastest economy and society in the world to do business. We definitely need to develop the kind of social movement towards that,” he added.

Dr. Holness said efficiency should be viewed as a national asset and a source of competitive advantage.

“Efficiency is a resource like oil, bauxite, and tourism… People are moving to countries that are efficient. And so, we need to add that to our value proposition: Jamaica, the efficient, productive country.”

Importantly, the Prime Minister said Jamaica’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa highlights the importance of speed and execution. While the country successfully leveraged its strong economic credibility to mobilize more than US$6 billion in reconstruction financing, he emphasized that financing alone is not enough.

“We have the financing to pursue our recovery and resilience building, but now we must push forward quickly. We must focus on getting the families who are still in distress after Hurricane Melissa back on their feet. The question is how we can do it faster, better, and stronger,” he said.

Dr. Holness called on members of the Jamaican diaspora to support the national conversation around the cultural changes needed to improve efficiency and productivity at every level of society.

“We are fighting a battle here of culture, and we are going to need your help in guiding the conversations about the changes that are needed at every level of society to become a more efficient player on the global stage,” he said.

As part of that effort, the Prime Minister highlighted the Government’s establishment of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) and its FAST initiative, which is designed to accelerate strategic investments and streamline project implementation to drive faster results for the Jamaican people.

Dr. Holness said Jamaica possesses the ambition, talent, and potential to compete with the world’s most successful economies, but achieving that vision will require a cultural shift toward greater efficiency, productivity, and innovation.

“We must never forget our history of colonization and exploitation. But we must move from victimhood to agency. We must move from the consumer mentality to the producer-innovator mentality. We must believe that we have it within ourselves to take charge of our destiny and chart our own course.”

The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at the University Chapel, The University of the West Indies, Mona.

Mr. Hart, who passed away in April 2026 at the age of 96 in the Cayman Islands, served Jamaica with distinction across the fields of law, business, and government. As a founding partner of the law firm Hart Muirhead Fatta, he established a reputation as one of the country’s leading legal minds while also contributing significantly to national development through public service.

He served in the Senate on two occasions, from 1972 to 1976 and again from 1983 to 1989 and was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Mining and Energy. He also served concurrently as Minister of Tourism.

Throughout his tenure in government, Mr. Hart contributed to the development and stewardship of sectors critical to Jamaica’s economic growth. His leadership in mining, energy, and tourism helped strengthen industries that continue to play a vital role in the nation’s development and prosperity. He also provided strategic guidance to several key national institutions, particularly within the bauxite, alumina, and energy sectors.

In recognition of his outstanding service to the nation, Mr. Hart was conferred with the Order of Jamaica (OJ) in 2011 for his contribution to the bauxite and alumina industry and the legal profession.

The Government of Jamaica honours the life and legacy of the Honourable Hugh Hart, and Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness extends sincere condolences to his family, friends, former colleagues, and all those whose lives he touched through his decades of service to 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 of the importance of removing financial barriers that usually prevent the most vulnerable participants from completing tailored government programmes.

Stressing the programme’s inclusive design, Minister Wheatley said, “No AI agenda means anything if it reaches only corporate offices and university campuses. It must reach South Central St. Catherine, rural St. Mary, and all parts of Westmoreland. The young mother who has the talent but not the tools. The unattached youth with capacity, potential, and no clear pathway. The low-skilled worker who is concerned about how AI will impact their ability to get or hold a job.”

IMPLEMENTATION AND FINANCING
The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) is the implementing authority, with the Social Development Commission providing community outreach. HEART/NSTA Trust will provide certification, while the Universal Service Fund is set to provide the digital infrastructure. The Office of the Prime Minister is set to provide strategic oversight.

The national investment is JMD $545 million, with the Government as the anchor investment designed to unlock multilateral co-financing from the World Bank, the IDB, UNESCO, UNDP, and bilateral partners. No single funding stream will exceed 40% of the total programme cost. Private sector partners across key industries have committed to the employment pipeline, with formal partnership agreements to be announced ahead of the pilot launch.

A pilot in selected constituencies in St. Catherine and St. Andrew will generate the evidence base before the national rollout. The target for each national cohort is a minimum of 1,260 HEART/NSTA-certified graduates, 20 per constituency, with a direct pipeline to private sector employment.

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 a calculated assault on the standards of public life, a calculated assault on the conventions that have carried this nation for decades,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said public policy must be supported by structure, implementation, efficiency and measurable performance. He said leaders must be judged not only by how well they articulate ideas, but by whether those ideas are translated into real results for the Jamaican people.

“To remember Mr. Seaga is to insist that policy must be structured, that implementation must be efficient and effective, and that performance must be measured by real outcomes for the people,” Dr. Holness said.

The Prime Minister said Jamaica must move beyond a political culture that rewards rhetoric over results, noting that care for the people must be demonstrated through action.

“We are not just here to write a policy, articulate it eloquently, appeal to you emotionally that we care about you, but we don’t act to materialise the care, to bring the care to reality,” Prime Minister Holness said.

Prime Minister Holness said modern politics has increasingly been affected by short-term thinking, which can distract from the deeper work of nation-building.

“One must act for results that may only be fully appreciated years later. That is very difficult for modern politics, because we live in an era of instant gratification. Many short-term thinkers have hijacked our politics and made us as a people think in very myopic ways,” Prime Minister Holness said.

The Prime Minister said Mr. Seaga’s example remains important because he was a leader who built institutions, strengthened communities, protected culture, and pursued long-term national development. He said leaders must be willing to plant trees under whose shade others will sit, noting that this approach is essential to building a stronger Jamaica.

Prime Minister Dr. Holness said his Administration will continue to build with seriousness and thoughtfulness by strengthening what works, reforming what is outdated, and creating institutions equal to the challenges of the time. He said this work must be guided by a commitment to keeping Jamaica’s public life grounded in standards, service, and results.

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 spent contributes to Jamaica’s long-term development, productivity and economic growth,” Prime Minister Holness said.

Major General Anderson brings extensive experience in public administration, national security, disaster management, institutional leadership and crisis response. He also recently chaired Jamaica’s post-Hurricane Beryl Disaster Risk Management Review Committee, which examined lessons from the national response and made recommendations to strengthen Jamaica’s disaster preparedness and resilience systems.

Commenting on his appointment, Major General Anderson said, “The passage of Hurricane Melissa and the consequent financial arrangements have provided us with an opportunity to do national development at an unprecedented scale and with speed. However, despite the obvious urgency, proper planning, transparent contracting and approval processes, with structured, disciplined, time-bound execution, must define this development. Multi-sectoral infrastructure programmes must be synergistically integrated, to maximize the impact of the spend, and crucially, to provide a platform for improved delivery of services, increased productivity and economic growth.”

He added that NaRRA must represent more than a short-term reconstruction response.

“Jamaica stands at a defining moment. The establishment of the National Reconstruction & Resilience Department (NaRRD) as the precursor to NaRRA following Hurricane Melissa represents more than a reconstruction initiative; it is an opportunity to embed resilience, climate adaptation, fiscal discipline, and institutional integrity into the nation’s long-term development architecture. Having piloted large national institutions under crisis conditions and having recently chaired Jamaica’s post-Hurricane Beryl Disaster Risk Management Review Committee, I am prepared to provide the strategic leadership, operational command, and fiduciary oversight required to deliver this mandate at scale.”

Prime Minister Holness said Ambassador Anderson’s leadership will be central to ensuring that reconstruction is carried out with urgency, but also with the discipline required to protect public resources, coordinate major projects, and deliver lasting national benefit.

NaRRA is expected to play a key role in integrating infrastructure, housing, public facilities, utilities, roads, bridges and community resilience projects into a coherent national programme. The Authority will also support the Government’s broader objective of ensuring that post-Hurricane Melissa reconstruction strengthens Jamaica’s long-term capacity for growth, service delivery, productivity and climate resilience.

The Government of Jamaica remains committed to ensuring that the reconstruction programme is delivered in a manner that is transparent, properly planned, time-bound and accountable to the Jamaican people.

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 supporting long-term economic growth.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the reconstruction process will be approached as a national development programme.

“We are not replacing what was damaged. We are using this moment to improve the quality, durability and resilience of Jamaica’s infrastructure. The projects being considered must support better roads, stronger bridges, safer communities, more reliable public services and greater productivity across the country.”

The members of Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee (JAMRROC), the independent public oversight body for the reconstruction programme, will be named in short order.

JAMRROC will play a key role in strengthening public confidence in the reconstruction process by supporting independent oversight, transparency and accountability. The Government has said that the reconstruction programme will be supported by mechanisms including public reporting, audited financial statements, performance indicators, ministerial oversight and a public electronic register of approved reconstruction and resilience projects.

The Prime Minister said the Government is committed to ensuring that reconstruction is carried out with speed, but not at the expense of good governance.

“Speed and accountability must work together. Jamaica cannot afford delay, but neither can we afford weak systems, poor planning or a lack of transparency. NaRRA has been designed to deliver reconstruction with urgency, discipline and integrity. The people of Jamaica must be able to see what is being done, where it is being done, what it costs, and whether it is being delivered on time.”

The passage of the NaRRA law follows extensive work across Government and with local and international partners to design a reconstruction framework that can respond to the scale of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa while embedding stronger standards of resilience, climate adaptation, fiscal discipline and institutional accountability.

Further updates will be provided as the priority project list is finalised and the members of JAMRROC are announced.

“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, hospitals, clinics, and debris removal operations, while the cash donations received totalled approximately J$1.4 billion.

He noted that nearly J$10 billion has already been deployed through the Government’s ROOFS programme, supporting close to 50,000 Jamaicans.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Government made a deliberate policy decision that donated funds would primarily be used to purchase building materials and support visible, measurable recovery works.

“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 said.

He continued: “When we fix a roof, the roof is there. You can go and measure it. You can see it. … We are not spending the money on anything that anybody can say, ‘Boy, it melted.’”

He reported that close to 500 roofs have already been restored under the programme, with additional works projected as materials are replenished.

Importantly, Prime Minister Holness also provided critical context on issues raised in the Auditor General’s report regarding administrative weaknesses in inventory management, explaining that the findings related to procedural documentation gaps between ODPEM and the JDF during the intense logistics operations following the hurricane.

“It didn’t say the materials were stolen. But there was an administrative accounting failure,” the Prime Minister explained, noting that materials were often delivered overnight to avoid congestion, at times when ODPEM officers were off duty, but JDF personnel remained operational.

The Prime Minister underscored that in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica received substantial humanitarian supplies, including food, generators, and tarpaulins, and the Government’s challenge was not the absence of relief items but ensuring efficient logistics, proper targeting, and accountability in distribution.

“We’ve made strategic decisions that the funds will be used not in the relief phase but in the recovery and rebuilding phase. We want to be able to say to those people who contributed: Jamaica has put on 1,000 roofs; this is the material; this is what your funds helped to purchase. That’s something you can see. It’s tangible, accountable, and traceable.”

Prime Minister Holness reaffirmed that the Government remains committed to prudent management of donated resources while ensuring recovery efforts deliver lasting benefit to affected communities across Jamaica.

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 technological architecture supporting frontline policing and operational oversight.

Turning to body-worn cameras, Prime Minister Holness said approximately 1,000 units are currently deployed within the JCF, with an additional 1,000 in procurement and further acquisitions planned as part of a phased national rollout.

He emphasized that the implementation of body-worn cameras is being undertaken in stages to ensure that the necessary supporting systems, which include training, broadband connectivity, secure data storage, and evidentiary management frameworks, are fully in place.

“We simply don’t have the resources to do it all at once. There is an entire suite of activities that have to be in place before body-worn cameras become universally systemized within the JCF,” he added.

He further noted that the deployment of camera systems must reflect operational realities and varying field conditions.

“The form factor, meaning the design of the camera, can work well in certain circumstances, such as patrolling a market or conducting traffic stops, where the image is stable and hand movement does not obstruct visibility. There are situations where the body-worn camera, which is placed on the chest, is effective and appropriate. However, there are other operational contexts in which it may not work as well. In some tactical operations, for example, if an officer is crawling on the ground, the camera may be facing downward. At night or in conditions involving smoke, visibility may also be compromised. That does not mean such operations would not be covered by camera systems. Rather, the police force would need to deploy the form factor of a camera that best suits the specific operational environment,” he explained.

Prime Minister Holness emphasized that the Government’s objective is to ensure that all appropriate police-citizen interactions are captured through suitable technological solutions while safeguarding officer safety and the success of police operations.

“Just to put everybody at ease, there is no intent to say some units will have cameras and some won’t. The intent is to make sure that there is this tool of accountability for our officers. And, as far as possible, that tool will be deployed as long as it does not compromise the safety of the officer or the success of a mission. Those are the general parameters within which we will deploy cameras. I want to put Jamaica at ease that we are in the process of deploying cameras. We will deploy them universally as much as possible within the Force, but we are building out the systems to ensure that these cameras work and that what they capture has evidentiary value.”

Dr. Holness said the expansion of police camera systems forms part of a wider transformation of the security architecture, designed to strengthen public trust, improve accountability, and enhance the evidentiary integrity of policing in Jamaica.

The Prime Minister was speaking on Friday (May 22) at the 91ˢᵗ Staff and Junior Command Course graduation exercise at the National Police College of Jamaica.

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 networks, removing illegal weapons from communities, restoring public order, and serving vulnerable communities affected by violence and trauma.

He noted that the Force’s growing effectiveness is reflected in continued reductions in murders and other major crimes.

“As at the 19th of May, Jamaica recorded 204 murders to date, compared to 268 over the same period last year. Sixty-four fewer murders, representing a 24 per cent reduction. And this is not just a one-year thing. We are now going into the fourth year. This follows three years of continuous decline, which demonstrates that the strategy is working,” the Prime Minister stated.

Prime Minister Holness attributed the improvements to targeted gang operations, stronger intelligence capabilities, legislative reforms, international partnerships, and the courage of police officers operating in dangerous environments to confront criminal networks.

He further noted that the JCF has made significant strides in rooting out corruption and severing unhealthy relationships that once existed between criminal elements and members of law enforcement.

“The JCF is the first to exclude those persons from membership in your organization. You have separated them from the organization and will continue to do so. That shows the capability of the JCF improving,” he said.

In the meantime, the Prime Minister said the Government is now intensifying efforts to address social violence through a broader national security approach grounded in both enforcement and peacebuilding.

Prime Minister Holness also reiterated the importance of public cooperation with law enforcement, warning that resisting arrest or attempting to evade police only escalates situations unnecessarily.

“The best advice is to comply and then make your complaint afterwards. But it makes no sense to resist the police,” he said.

He stressed, however, that police officers must maintain professionalism in every interaction with citizens and avoid allowing confrontations to become personal.

Prime Minister Holness said changing long-held public perceptions of policing remains a critical part of the JCF’s transformation, noting that increased professionalism, stronger doctrine, and improved public engagement are already contributing to greater respect for the Force across the society.

“The change in your uniform was symbolic, but it is only effective if there is also a change in your mindset… I know that the JCF is investing heavily in changing its doctrine, and we are seeing the impact of this change,” he said.

The Prime Minister pointed to growing public pride in the professionalism of Jamaican police officers, including increasing interest among young people in joining the Force, as evidence that the transformation taking place within the JCF is beginning to reshape public confidence in policing and national security.