News from the OPM

The government has announced a raft of increased benefits for several categories of contributors to the National Housing Trust (NHT). Making his contribution to the 2017/18 budget debate in Parliament yesterday (March 21) Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the move is in an effort to increase home ownership across all income levels in Jamaica. Effective July 1, 2017, home improvement and house lot loans will be increased. NHT contributors seeking home improvement loans can now access up to $2.5 million up from $1.5 million. In addition, loans to purchase land (House Lot loans) will be increased to $2.5 million from the previous limit of $2 million. The Government will also increase NHT benefits to persons with disabilities.  The Government will provide a grant to NHT mortgagors with disabilities or those who reside with and care for a family member with disabilities. The grant is to be used to retrofit/upgrade the dwelling to make it suitable to serve their needs. The Prime Minister also announced the implementation of a Low Income Construction Subsidy, Housing Microfinance and Mortgage Financing - all of which will increase the uptake of housing loans for low income earners particularly those persons in the tourism sector. “We are paying…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the plans for a new Parliamentary complex will borrow on the expertise of all relevant local skillsets. In a statement today, the prime minister said purposeful efforts will be made to include Jamaicans in the design and execution of the project. He said this was always the intention of the Government. "We are at a preliminary stage currently and I wish to reiterate as I said at the MOU signing that local expertise will be essential to the design and execution of the project," says Prime Minister Holness, The design and construction of a Parliamentary complex are important to furthering the Government’s commitment to rejuvenate downtown Kingston. Under the proposed plan, there is to be the accommodation in the design of the complex for a new Parliament building on 50 acres of land as well as the use of 240 acres to construct several buildings for Government Ministries, Agencies and Departments. The development will also house commercial and residential areas. A critical component will see the revitalization of the existing residential areas. "While we are at the extreme early stage of this project our aim and focus is for Jamaicans to build a complex that we…

The Government of Jamaica (GOJ), through the Urban Development Corporation, UDC, this morning (March 9) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Construction Company of America, CCA (South America Division) for the Government of Jamaica Parliament and Government Offices Oval Zone project. The signing of the MoU is the first phase of the project which will see the CCA providing consultancy services for the design concept of each zone. Speaking at the signing, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said he is happy for this Public Private Partnership which signals the start of great things for Jamaica. “In concentrating development effort we could become the catalyst for the wider redevelopment of the downtown Kingston area. The general vision is not just to put up square boxes that rise several stories. The vision is to build buildings that represent the future of Jamaica. Buildings that show the aspiration of the Jamaican people, structures that when we look at them we can say we are leaving legacies for future generations, and when you put them all together you can also say that we are building communities”, stated Prime Minister Holness. Last year the prime minister announced that the government would seek to develop…

The historic Jamaica House Fellowship Programme has been officially launched. Prime Minister Andrew Holness this morning (March 8) pinned eight Jamaicans who are part of the first cohorts of young Jamaican professionals who will serve in the Government of Jamaica for a two year period. Speaking at the ceremony Prime Minister Holness said that the society must become one of meritocracy. “The Jamaica House Fellowship programme is just one idea in a series of things that we are going to do to ensure that the Jamaican state is seen in the best way, in the best light, held in the highest regard; to create a society of merit. The Jamaican state has to become a meritocracy, so the man who plays by the rule will be rewarded”, said Prime Minister Holness The eight individuals, six men and two women, will be placed in a fast paced collaborative environment within Ministries, Departments and Agencies based on Government priorities, skillsets, experience and areas of interest. Each Fellow will work on, provide support to and implement high priority Government initiatives. “We have to be a society of excellence. Too often we are willing to compromise on standards especially in Government and that has…

The Ministry of Health has continued to relocate services from the Cornwall Regional Hospital’s (CRH) main hospital building as the organization seeks to maintain access to health care for residents in Western Jamaica. The aim is to scale down operations at the main CRH building which will only be utilized for emergency services and other services such as Radiology which cannot readily be relocated until renovation and cleaning can be completed. This strategy aims to safeguard the health of staff and patients and ensure continuity of care to residents in the area. Many services have already been relocated to alternative facilities at nearby locations in recent weeks while others have been relocated to alternative premises and temporary facilities on the Hospital compound. The Ministry is also relocating some clinical services to nearby hospitals. This approach will continue over the next few weeks. As of today, March 2, 2017, approximately 50 percent of services previously offered at CRH have been relocated. Some of the earlier action included the relocation of: Accident and Emergency, triage and management of patients with ‘green’ and ‘yellow’ tickets to the Mt. Salem Health Center Medical and Surgical Clinics and Physiotherapy to West Jamaica Conference Centre, Maternal…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says an institutional review of the National Housing Trust is underway. Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony for 37 serviced lots at the Mary’s Field Housing development in St. Catherine yesterday (February 28), Prime Minister Holness said the mandate of the NHT must be clear to meet the housing needs of Jamaicans. “I gave a directive to the Board Chairman to conduct an institutional review of the NHT, to look at the NHT at an enterprise level. What is the NHT structured to do? What is the mission of the NTH now relative to the present context?” said the Prime Minister. Mr. Holness said that the NHT reserves have grown to a level where they have become very attractive and have been used in areas other than housing or community development. “The directive to the board is to build houses. If the NHT was building house there would be no reserves to take, so use the reserves to build (more) houses. And that is why I will be at every ground breaking to make the point that we are using the NHT resources to build house(s),” declared Prime Minister Holness. The Mary’s Field Housing development will…

Three new sub committees have been established in the National Partnership Council, to address the rule of law, violence in the society and issues relating to the environment. This was revealed yesterday (February 23) during a meeting of the Council chaired by Prime Minister Andrew Holness. The Prime Minister recommended that specific committees be formed to address the issue of crime following presentations from council members. Council members expressed concerns about the level of crime in the society and projected ideas to assist in tackling the issue. Prime Minister Holness welcomed Anthony Hylton, who represented the Opposition to the table. “Jamaica has always had a strong social partnership and I am committed to ensuring that this partnership is strengthened and maintained. We are very happy that the Opposition is at the table, to hold the Partnership Council accountable and to be facilitators of the understanding that we are trying to build in the country,” said Prime Minister Holness. The Council gave formal approval for the re-appointment of two existing committees; the Coordinating Committee, to be led by Hon. Derrick Smith and the Governance Committee to be led by Reverend Lenworth Angling. This was the first meeting of the Council following…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says imminent policy changes will be made to existing pension schemes. Speaking at the annual Sagicor Pension Investment Seminar today (February 21), the prime minister said the changes will ensure greater efficiency of pension funds. “In the very near future there will be policy changes to ensure, facilitate, and promote better efficiency in terms of investments and in terms of how pension funds structure their assets to align more with the investment infrastructure thrust of the Jamaican Government,” said Prime Minister Holness. The Prime Minister said the government must find a way to attach the right kinds of investment to existing pension funds. Adding that most of our pension funds are tied to government bonds, Prime Minister Holness said that based on evidence this is not the best way to secure the funds. “We are looking (as government) to figure out how we can coordinate the investments that must be made in terms of developing our infrastructure with the pool of pension funds that exist,” added Mr. Holness. The Prime Minister suggested that the best way to secure the pension funds is to tie them to long term income generating projects such as infrastructure projects and…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the government is committed to confront the country's murder problem.  He says it will be done through implementing measures to ensure order in the public transport system. Referencing the recent policy directive to remove tints from all Public Passenger Vehicles, the prime minister insists that there should be clear view into vehicles to reduce and eliminate crimes, including abductions and rapes, on the public thoroughfare. “We cannot allow criminals to use the transport system without fear. You are going to see more actions that will reduce the space that criminals have to act,” said Mr. Holness. The Prime Minister asserted that the government must control small crimes as they lead to bigger crimes. He said criminals should not use the public thoroughfare and public transportation to get away with crime. “I am not going to be the prime minister that after two days we forget about it. This is going to be a consistent and persistent effort by the police." The Prime Minister thanked taxi operators who recently met with the Transport Authority and pledged support for the government’s policy directive. –30– Contact: Communications Unit-OPM Tel: 926-0244, 927-4101 Email: [email protected] [email protected] FB: www.facebook.com/jamaicahouse TW: www.twitter.com/opmjamaica Web: www.opm.gov.jm