News from the OPM

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…

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, who also serves as Minister of Housing, continues to advance low-income housing development with the groundbreaking of the Longville Meadows Housing Development in Clarendon. It marks the start of one of the largest and most impactful projects in the history of the National Housing Trust (NHT). Speaking at the ceremony on Friday (June 20, 2025), Prime Minister Holness described the project as a transformative investment in housing, infrastructure, and the dignity of the Jamaican people. Dr Holness reiterated the NHT’s long-standing role in Clarendon, which began in 1977 and has already delivered over 9,000 housing solutions in the parish. This new development continues that legacy, with an additional 9,000 homes planned over the next decade. “Every home we build takes a family out of uncertainty and into stability. Every home we build moves a family from poverty to prosperity. It is no accident that this groundbreaking is taking place here in Clarendon. With its strategic location between Kingston and Mandeville and its growing population and commercial activity, Clarendon is ripe for structured development.” The Prime Minister said the development will deliver 2,064 new housing units under a joint effort between the NHT and Gore Development…

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has commended the success of national youth training programmes in addressing unemployment, skills gaps, and youth disengagement. Speaking on Friday (June 20, 2025) at the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC) Skills Training Closing Out Ceremony, the Prime Minister noted that the programme has contributed to Jamaica’s unemployment rate now at a historic low of 3.5 per cent. Prime Minister Holness said this achievement is the result of sustained investment in training and workforce development initiatives such as those led by HEART/NSTA Trust and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). “When I hear Dr. Ingleton say that within the first few months of the financial year, you have enrolled over 50,000 youngsters. When I hear the Chief of Defence Staff say that the JDF within the year has engaged 52,000 young people, it's incredible. When we give the statistics that unemployment in Jamaica is now at 3.5%, there are those who will naysay it and say it's not so. But I hope you have realized that 150,000 persons have enrolled in HEART over the last two years. And they are in all kinds of programmes. Households right across Jamaica, their young people are being pulled into the…

The Government of Jamaica has created more avenues to ensure the housing needs of the nation are addressed. Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says it's being done through a strategic and results-driven approach to increase the supply of affordable homes for Jamaicans across all income levels. Speaking on Thursday (June 19) during a New Social Housing Programme housing handover ceremony in St. Thomas, Dr. Holness underscored that the root of Jamaica’s housing crisis is not demand but the shortage of supply. “The main problem of housing in Jamaica is the supply of houses. If you really want to make an impact on housing, you have to deal with the supply of houses. You have to actually build more houses, and this government is building more houses,” the Prime Minister stated. Dr. Holness highlighted that the National Housing Trust (NHT), the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ), the Jamaica Mortgage Bank, and the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) are working together to close the housing gap by supporting land access, mortgage financing, and housing construction, especially for low-income earners. Prime Minister Holness directed the NHT to focus significantly on low-income housing, given that the private market is better positioned to serve middle-…

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP) is the most transformative and enduring initiative in Jamaica’s fight against poverty. Prime Minister Holness underscores that the NSHP has been delivering not only shelter but also dignity and hope to the nation’s most vulnerable. Speaking on Thursday (June 19) at the latest house handover ceremony in Whitehall, St. Thomas, Prime Minister Holness emphasized that the NSHP is not merely a shelter programme but a sustainable intervention that is delivering long-term hope to Jamaicans in dire housing conditions. “We estimate that there are about 6,000 households in Jamaica where people live under the worst of the worst conditions. The New Social Housing Programme is targeted at them. Before this, there was nothing like this programme. Now, at least, you see that the programme is delivering, step by step,” said Prime Minister Holness. Dr. Holness described the NSHP as a multi-tiered initiative that addresses a wide range of vulnerable groups, including victims of domestic abuse, the elderly, persons with disabilities, those affected by disasters, and low-income earners. The Prime Minister added that this programme will also add a new dimension to benefit workers in industries like tourism, where formal…