News from the OPM

The Government of Jamaica has adopted a position of neutrality with respect to the Western Sahara region referred to as the “Sahroui Arab Democratic Republic” (SADR). Jamaica no longer recognizes the “Sahroui Arab Democratic Republic”. The government underscores that its position of neutrality is intended to allow the ongoing UN process towards a peaceful and mutually acceptable resolution of the conflict in Western Sahara to continue without pre-empting its outcome and to also encourage a process of continued dialogue and negotiation amongst the parties concerned. The government remains committed to the principles of peace, security, and justice enshrined in the United Nations Charter, which are critical to the attainment of a mutually acceptable and lasting political solution to the  dispute in Western Sahara.  –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   

Prime Minister Andrew Holness will make his formal introduction to the international community at the 71st Session of the United States General Assembly being held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Prime Minister and his delegation leaves the island today (Monday, September 19) and will return on Saturday, September 24. The theme for this year’s session is “The Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform our World” and Prime Minister Holness will deliver his presentation in response to the theme on Friday, September 23. Jamaica’s participation in this year’s session will allow it to engage in discussions on the challenges faced, in efforts to promote sustainable development, encourage greater collaboration with Small Island Developing States by donor countries and enhance South-South cooperation. Among the agenda items to be considered are: promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development; maintenance of international peace and security; promotion of human rights; promotion of justice and international law and drug control, crime prevention and combatting international terrorism. The Prime Minister’s first engagement will be President of the United States, Barack Obama’s eighth and final speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 20. Mr Holness will also participate in…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has expressed profound sadness at the passing of Cecil Harvey Cooper, CD.  The Prime Minister said Jamaica has lost a true icon, who had a distinguished career as an influential musician, artist and art educator.  “His extraordinary career in the local art world will never be forgotten. He was an energetic and passionate educator who influenced many outstanding graduates,” he added. Cecil started his art studies in 1962 at the Jamaica School of Art (now Edna Manley College) and later on attended the Arts Students League in New York. He returned to New York from 1991 to 1993 where he obtained a Masters of Fine Arts degree. Among his most outstanding achievements is heading the Painting Department at the Jamaica School of Art for 28 years. He was also recognized as a gifted singer, with a powerful and distinctive tenor. Cecil was conferred with Jamaica’s fifth highest honour, the Order of Distinction (Commander Class), at a special investiture ceremony at King’s House on September 6. Prime Minister Holness said “Cecil had an incredible artistic passion which was revealed in his numerous paintings. His commitment to the development of art is an inspiration for all of us…

The Economic Growth Council presented its recommendations to a meeting of the Cabinet on Monday, September 12th.  The report updated the Cabinet on its work to date and outlined a set of Growth Initiatives along with specific policy proposals, to achieve higher levels of growth in the Jamaican economy.   Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness appointed the Economic Growth Council, to consult widely and to advise the Cabinet on a collection of broad platform policies and reforms that would facilitate economic growth. These Growth Initiatives are intended to facilitate the removal of various obstacles to economic growth and shake the “trunk of the tree” with the potential to positively impact thousands of businesses and millions of Jamaicans.   According to the Chairman of the EGC, Mr. Michael Lee-Chin; “Our job has been to question, listen, review, read and consult with a view to nurturing consensus on prioritisation for impact. This is a reflective process and our proposals reflect the collective views of fellow Jamaicans across the private, public and voluntary sectors.”   The report draws from inputs gained from over 80 consultative meetings held with stakeholders over the past four months. These groupings included various business groups, the…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness is again calling on Jamaicans to be careful on the roads and especially children to exercise good judgment in their choice of transport to and from school. Prime Minister Holness’ comment comes in light of a tragic incident involving students from Garvey Maceo in Clarendon; resulting in serious injuries to at least 28 people including 23 students. The Prime Minister said, “We have been running a campaign on social media and wherever I get the chance I am spreading the message about road safety. All Jamaicans must make road safety their priority as a lot of the incidents are not because of road conditions or the weather, but careless road use and a disregard for the rules of the road or respect for fellow road users.” He added that, “While moral suasion is important, the government also recognizes that enhanced laws have to be in place to deal with those who consistently put Jamaicans, especially our children at risk. Amendments to the Road Traffic Act are coming and will be accompanied by a national road safety campaign that involves partners such as citizens, police, corporate Jamaica and international interests. We cannot continue to hear of these…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has reiterated the government’s commitment to free access to education. Speaking at a Special School Opening Ceremony at Seaward Primary this morning (Monday, September 5) he said, “I know in communities like these the tremendous struggle that parents go through and that is why we have reintroduced the no tuition policy. We are not saying that education is free, but what we are saying is that every single Jamaican child must have access to education whether or not they can afford it.” Prime Minister Holness emphasised that no school should turn away any child because they cannot pay school fees. He said school fees must not be used as a means of excluding any child from their education, adding “I encourage every single Jamaican parent, don’t stay at home and say you can’t afford it - you don’t have it. Send that child to school and if any teacher or any principal sends back that child, you send them to me and let me deal with it.” During his address, he also encouraged parents to steer their children away from crime and violence. The Prime Minister explained that violence starts in the home and implored parents…

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Dr. Hon. Andrew Wheatley has decided to convene a task force to examine the state of utilities in Jamaica in light of recent devastating incidents. The Minister notes that “this administration is focused on growth and job creation but this cannot be achieved without a reliable power grid and robust communications backbone.”   “This is the second time in as many weeks that the country has experienced a major utility service outage and this cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. So I will be putting together a task force to look into the root causes of these problems.” said Wheatley.   The task force will be comprised of ministry, regulatory, academic and consumer representatives. Its primary mandate will be to review and assess the state of services, infrastructure, processes and procedures of the Electricity and Telecommunications companies in Jamaica. The Minister says “after the task force is named, it will present a comprehensive report in six months, aspects of which will be made public forming a basis for policy decisions and actions". Demands Report on Network Outages from FLOW Minister Wheatley has also requested a full report from telecommunications provider FLOW surrounding the lengthy…

The Jamaica House Fellowship Programme has started its selection process after receiving a total of 129 applications. Mrs. Jacqueline Lynch-Stewart, Chief Technical Director in the Office of the Prime Minister explained that due to the overwhelming response, the selection process has been extended and will be finalized by mid-October. “The response has been truly overwhelming. We are seeing a high caliber of applicants, both overseas and local, who have been outstanding in their respective fields and communities. We want to ensure the most exceptional applicants are selected and as a result we decided to extend the time to carefully review each application,” said Mrs. Lynch-Stewart. Of the applications received, 76 are female and 53 are male. This translates to approximately 59% of the applicants being females and 41% male. All applicants are Jamaican citizens with 14 individuals currently residing overseas in countries such as the United States of America, Japan, Canada, Mexico and Turkey. The Programme is designed to empower individuals to make further contributions to their country and to become strong leaders in their respective fields. Successful candidates will be working under the general guidance and supervision of the Chief Technical Director in the Office of the Prime Minister…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Government is committed to ensuring that there is universal access to secondary education. He said although government has limited resources and there are challenges, education should be a right for all children. He also stated that children should be entitled to a place in primary school a good quality high school regardless of their background or ability to afford it and the country should provide that for every child. Speaking at a GSAT awards function at the Office of the Prime Minister on Wednesday, August 24, Prime Minister Holness said the Government is trying to put this in place by initiating a no tuition fee policy at the secondary level. He added that, “We understand the cost of education, but we also understand the cost of ignorance. If we are going to see the fulfillment of all our children, we need to have an education system that caters to their various skills and abilities.” According to Mr Holness, what we believe as the foundation of the Jamaican State, society and culture is continuously being challenged by information all over the world. To address this, there has to be constant reinforcement of the values of…