News from the OPM

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, this morning (January 26) met with Daniel Seah, Deputy Director of Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) and representatives from the Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA) to discuss the partnership between both governments to develop Jamaica’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ).   A memorandum of understanding (MoU) which was signed between the Jamaican government and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise in December 2016 will see the development of a comprehensive road map which will foster a SEZ environment.   Prime Minister Holness said that the “development of the SEZ will greatly impact Jamaica’s economic development as all Jamaicans should benefit from the Zone.” This he says will be possible with limited intervention from government.   The three tiered MoU establishes that the SCE will develop a world class Special Economic Zone; provide planning and workforce skills qualification framework and create a business environment within Special Economic Zones.   The Jamaican government on August 1, 2016, promulgated the Special Economic Zone Act which repeals the Jamaica Free Zone Act. This makes provisions in respect of the development, regulation, construction, supervision, management and control of Special Economic Zones in Jamaica.  It is expected that the SEZ will create a modern framework to attract…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the stock market provides a means of equity as it allows Jamaicans - both rich and the poor - to own wealth by owning parts of firms. Speaking at the Jamaica Stock Exchange Opening ceremony on the 17th Regional Investments & Capital Markets Conference at the Jamaica Pegasus on Tuesday night (January 24), he said it is critical that the government promotes a stock market.   “As you grow and the stock market becomes part of the pension fund, part of the insurance funds, part of people saying instead of saving in banks I am going to save in stocks or buy stocks for the future for my children, then you start to see the distribution of wealth in the society changing,” said Mr Holness.   The prime minister said the government is committed a process of transforming the public sector.   “What we need to do is strengthen the regulatory arm of government so that it can divest itself of assets to the private sector- government regulate and private sector produces efficiently,” he said   The prime minister emphasized that the stock market is a strategic investment for the government in terms of the…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness left the island this morning (Wednesday, January 25) to attend the Fifth Summit of the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The Summit which opened on Tuesday, January 24 will address a wide variety of issues affecting the Caribbean and Jamaica. The prime minister will return to the island this evening. During his absence, Honourable Dr. Horace Chang, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister will be in charge of the government.   --30--

The Government of Jamaica is guided by the law, as set out by the Court in the case involving Symbiote Investments Limited versus the Spectrum Management Authority, the Office of Utilities Regulation and the Minister of Science, Energy and Technology.   The Government has and will continue to be fair to all parties and will proceed in accordance with the Telecommunications Act.   ---30—     Contact: Robert Morgan                                                         Contact: Naomi Francis Director of Communication                                                               Press Secretary [email protected]                                                [email protected] 872-9979                                                                                   374-7333      

The Climate Change Division in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation yesterday (January 23) launched a five (5) day training workshop in collaboration with the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ). The training workshop is being conducted for members of the Climate Change Focal Point Network (FPN) across Ministries, Departments and Agencies to enhance their capacity to mainstream climate change considerations into development planning. Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Daryl Vaz, while declaring the workshop open said that “Jamaica’s Climate Change Agenda and Climate Change initiatives must be placed front and centre in all our development planning.”  He further stated that “We must invest in gathering the kind of baseline data that will improve our planning process for mitigation and adaptation actions.” The five day workshop will address areas such as: Essentials of Adaptation to Climate Change; stocktaking; apply a Climate Lens; assess climate risk & vulnerability; identify adaptation options and Select adaptation measures. Trainers include Mr. Alfred Eberhardt from Germany, Mr. Leon Charles from Grenada and Mr. Martin Bursik from the Czech Republic. --30--

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Daryl Vaz, today (January 20), delivered building approvals and permits at the ground breaking ceremony for the new state of the art BMW show room and an AC Marriott hotel which will be constructed on Lady Musgrave Road in St. Andrew.   Minister Vaz made the presentation to Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman and CEO of ATL Automotive Group & Sandals Resorts International who will be the local partner to build and manage the facilities.   Minister Vaz stated that “as a proactive government, and minister, the building approvals were done and presented as we would never have wanted one day to pass between the ground breaking and the start of construction.”   He said the timely delivery of the approval documents is part of government’s commitment to improve the ease of doing business in Jamaica.   Minister Vaz commended the Agencies, within the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, and the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) for their proactive approach in having the documents prepared.   This move signifies the government’s commitment to comprehensive reform of government to reduce bureaucracy in an effort to improve the business environment.…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared that the government is determined to get a handle on crime. The Prime Minister said this will be done strategically, as government moves to address the country’s crime problem. “We have to get a handle on crime. This government is determined to do it. We have learnt the lessons of the past and therefore we will do it with respect for human rights. We will do it through education. We will do it through collaboration and we will do it by being just and firm and strategic in how we go about dealing with the criminals,” he said. The declaration was made by Mr. Holness this morning (Friday, January 20) at the ground breaking ceremony of ATL Autobahn Kingston, the future home of BMW and MINI. According to the prime minister, Jamaica is on the cusp of success and the only obstacle in the way, is crime and violence. He stated “We are not going to overcome this by the security forces alone. It has to be a joint cooperative partnership effort between the government, security forces and the citizens.” In lauding the ATL Automotive Group for their investment, Mr Holness affirmed the government’s…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has lauded J Wray & Nephew for its investment in protecting the environment. The Prime Minister’s comments came this morning (Wednesday, January 18), after a tour of the company’s 234 Spanish Town Road Operations which has a state of the art solid waste recycling zone, waste water treatment plant and a Photovoltaics system. Prime Minister Holness praised the company for the critical role in reducing its own cost of energy and environmental impact through the commissioning of the systems. “J Wray & Nephew and the Campari Group are true believers in protecting the environment. I see this as a very good example of good corporate citizenship, of protecting the environment and the implementation of sustainable solutions into your industrial production and I recommend it to all Jamaican industries,” he said. The Prime Minister further noted that as Jamaica moves towards being less dependent on oil, taking advantage of abundant solar power, and actively instituting energy reduction initiatives, augur well for the country to attain its overall energy goals. “The government is impressed with what has been done and the commitment and investment of the Campari group to ensure continued success while not compromising the environment. They…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has met with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and has invited him to make an official visit to Jamaica. The two men discussed possibilities for cooperation in water, agriculture and domestic security. Prime Minister Holness: "Jamaica, like Israel, is a strong democracy, and we have long admired the advances that Israel has made in technology, in particularly in cyber security and in agriculture, and in other areas. The potential for cooperation between our two countries is great and Jamaica is very interested in exploring those areas of cooperation. The Jamaican people and the Caribbean region is a zone of peace, and we wish peace for all the peoples of the world. And we do extend our sympathies to the people of Israel for the very unfortunate attack on your soldiers recently. We would want to also pursue with Israel economic cooperation. I believe that in building strong economies we can build a peaceful world." Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: "I think this is the first visit ever by a prime minister of Jamaica to Israel, so it has a double significance for us. Our relations are always friendly. We appreciate the fact that you didn't…