News from the OPM

While traditional definitions of poverty focus on income and material deprivation, the Government of Jamaica is bringing attention to a more silent but equally harmful form of poverty, social alienation. Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging the nation to recognize that feeling excluded, overlooked, or invisible can be just as damaging as financial hardship. “There are people in this country who look at what’s happening and say, ‘None of this is for me,’” the Prime Minister said during the launch of the Solidarity Programme today (June 25) at Jamaica House. “They feel that the society has moved on without them. That the system isn’t working for them. That no matter how hard they try, the doors remain closed.” This emotional and psychological separation from national life, he explained, has real consequences. “When people feel like they don’t belong, it’s easier for frustration to turn into anger or antisocial behavior. That’s when you hear the phrase, ‘Mi cyaah bada.’ That’s when we see people step back from society and adopt a mindset that contributes to disorder and underdevelopment.” The Prime Minister described this sense of exclusion as a dimension of poverty that is often overlooked but one that must be urgently…

The Government of Jamaica is continuing to transform how poverty is addressed by expanding its focus beyond income support. Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says Jamaica’s anti-poverty strategy is now fully aligned with the complex realities many citizens face. Dr. Holness says the government is determined to meet people where they are. “When we think about poverty, most of us only think about money,” said the Prime Minister at the launch of the Solidarity Programme. “But there are so many other ways that people suffer. Yes, some people lack income, but others lack access to knowledge, to basic services, to a sense of belonging, or to the tools that would allow them to rise.” The Prime Minister emphasized that true poverty has many faces, and for policy to be effective, it must reflect that truth. “We are working to dismantle the idea that poverty is just about dollars and cents,” he said. “Poverty can also mean being cut off from opportunities, from information, and from hope.” The Prime Minister pointed to several key areas where the government has made significant progress. “We've brought unemployment down from over 13 percent to 3.5 percent, which is the lowest in our history. That…

Prime Minister the Most Honourable Andrew Holness says that Jamaica’s transformation into a stable, investor-ready economy helps to make the $50 million redevelopment of the former Ariguanabo textile site possible. Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday (June 24), Prime Minister Holness gave a wide-ranging address on the deep connection between economic policy, investor confidence, national security, and Jamaica’s industrial revival. “The entrepreneurs saw that there was a stable economic environment, and that is one of the most important conditions for any of these projects to succeed,” said Prime Minister Holness. “Even before we decided as a government to develop the Morant Bay Urban Centre, we had to first stabilize our debt situation.” The Prime Minister reminded the audience that in 2016, Jamaica’s debt-to-GDP ratio stood at approximately 130 percent. Today, that figure is 68 percent and falling. He explained that this reduction is not just a fiscal milestone but a major signal to both local and international investors that Jamaica is managing its affairs responsibly. “When a businessman looks at a factory that has been abandoned for decades and considers bringing it back to life, they do not just look at the concrete or the steel. They have to test…

Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness has commended the vision and determination behind the revitalization of the former Ariguanabo Textile Factory site in Spanish Town, describing it as a meaningful chapter in Jamaica’s national journey to reclaim its industrial ambitions. Speaking on Tuesday (June 24) at the official opening of the new facility developed by the Musson Group at a cost of over US$50 million, the Prime Minister described the moment as both personal and national, recalling his childhood trips along the train line that once passed the now-redeveloped location. “I used to take the train after school to visit friends in Linstead, and we would pass by this factory. I always wondered why it was abandoned,” the Prime Minister said. “This factory was once part of a broader vision for Jamaica’s industrial future. Like the Goodyear factory in St. Thomas and the rice mill in Spanish Town, it was a symbol of ambition that eventually fell dormant.” The Ariguanabo facility was originally established in the 1950s under a government policy focused on protectionism and industrial incentives. Developed in partnership with a Cuban entrepreneur, the factory played a central role in the economy of Spanish Town. Over the…

Prime Minister the Most Honourable Dr. Andrew Holness says Jamaica is entering a new era of economic transformation driven by infrastructure, discipline, and long-term planning that is beginning to yield measurable results. Prime Minister Holness was speaking on Monday (June 23) at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expanded Garmex Free Zone facility in Kingston, where Phase One of the redevelopment project has delivered 126,000 square feet of new industrial space across 17 enterprises in multiple sectors. The expansion includes mini warehouses for small and micro businesses, constructed at a cost of $1.1 billion, fully funded from the internal resources of the Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ), without borrowing. “In just over two years since these new facilities became operational, they have already generated more than $340 million in rental income. That is prudent public financial management, which leads to smart and sustainable development,” the Prime Minister noted. Prime Minister Holness emphasized that the real value of this model lies in its ability to generate its own growth, using rental revenues to reinvest in future phases of expansion and industrial development. “We are building for the future without taking from the future,” he said. “A self-financing government enterprise delivering quality infrastructure,…

Prime Minister Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness says labour availability has now become the most serious constraint on Jamaica’s economic growth and is calling for a national effort to get more Jamaicans trained and certified to meet the growing demand for jobs. Speaking at the ribbon cutting ceremony marking the expansion of the Garmex Free Zone, which is projected to create over 3,000 permanent jobs at its completion, the Prime Minister said the country must move with urgency to ensure the local workforce is fully prepared to take advantage of new opportunities. “We still have a number of Jamaicans who could be in the labour force, but they have opted not to be. And we still have Jamaicans who are in the labour force, but they are underemployed because they do not have skills or, more critically, they do not have certification,” the Prime Minister stated. “Some of them have skills, but they need certification in order to get into the employment that they would want. So there is still some amount of technical work to be done within our demographics to ensure that we maximize our local population in the labour pool.” The Prime Minister encouraged Jamaicans to…

The government will create another 3,000 permanent jobs in the economy through the expansion of the Garmex Freezone industrial belt in Kingston. Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness made the announcement on Monday (June 23) at the official ribbon cutting for Phase 1 of the Garmex Freezone Redevelopment and Expansion Project on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston. The jobs are projected to be created across the site over the next five years. “What is being built here is the infrastructure of prosperity. These two phases combined are projected to create up to 400 jobs in the construction phase and as many as 3,000 new permanent jobs across the campus over the next five years,” said Prime Minister Holness. Prime Minister Holness said the Redevelopment and Expansion Project is a bold example of how government-led industrial development can deliver sustainable economic opportunity for Jamaicans. The Garmex Freezone, Jamaica’s largest commercial industrial complex, has been revitalized through an ambitious multi-phase project spearheaded by the Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ). Phase 1 has already delivered 126,000 square feet of new industrial space across 17 enterprises. Prime Minister Holness highlighted that this project was completed without borrowing. “That is prudent public financial management, which leads…

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has commended the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) for its work in the parish of St. Thomas, where the police division has achieved a 63% clear-up rate for murders. This, alongside notable reductions in robberies, break-ins, and larcenies. During a field visit on Thursday (June 19) to the parish, Prime Minister Holness received a report from Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Leonard Kinlocke, Operations Officer for the parish, about the crime trends and response efforts. ASP Kinlocke reported that while the number of murders, shootings, and rapes has increased by one compared to last year, the overall trend in accusatory crimes is moving in the right direction. “So far, we are not doing too badly as a division. We are not where we want to be, but we are not worse off,” ASP Kinlocke stated, noting that homicides are up marginally, from 7 to 8 year-to-date. St. Thomas police successful in nabbing migrant criminals ASP Kinlocke explained that this stems from domestic disputes and unexpected flare-ups in previously quiet communities. “We have seen an increase in migrant criminals,” ASP Kinlocke confirmed. “Due to intensified police operations in other areas, some criminals have been relocating. In fact,…

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has outlined the transformation of the HEART/NSTA Trust into a key driver of workforce development and economic alignment in Jamaica. Speaking on Friday (June 20, 2025) at the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC) Skills Training Closing Out Ceremony, the Prime Minister emphasized that the HEART/NSTA Trust is evolving from being primarily a training institution to becoming Jamaica’s leading workforce development facilitator, aligning skills training with the current and emerging needs of industry. This shift, said Dr. Holness, is critical to Jamaica’s long-term growth. “HEART is transitioning from being primarily a skills development and training institution to being the facilitator of preparing a workforce that is aligned to industry needs. So they spend a lot of time on the TVET [Technical and Vocational Education and Training] side, on the training side, with schools, they're working with the JDF [Jamaica Defence Force] and the CMU [Caribbean Maritime University] and other entities with training. But they are also now working very closely with industry, saying to the industry, tell us what you need and let us craft the programmes to support it,” said Prime Minister Holness. The Prime Minister explained that this new model is aimed at reducing…