News from the OPM

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness is urging all citizens to exercise increased caution and responsibility on the nation’s roads. The Prime Minister's caution comes as the country marks road safety awareness month in June. Dr. Holness says the Government will continue to strengthen traffic enforcement and road safety systems. However, Prime Minister Holness emphasized that personal responsibility is vital to saving lives. Data from the police Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB) indicate that between January 1 and June 3, 2025, there have been 148 fatal collisions and 164 deaths. This compares to 153 collisions, 177 deaths over the similar period in 2024 and 165 collisions, 181 deaths over the comparative period in 2023. Prime Minister Holness said despite the year-on-year improvements, the figures remain unacceptably high. Special attention is also being drawn to motorcyclists and pedestrians, two of the most vulnerable groups on our roads. The Prime Minister expressed concern over the high number of motorcycle fatalities, especially in western parishes such as Westmoreland and Hanover, and urged riders to exercise greater care. He also reminded pedestrians to be cautious when using the roads, acknowledging that as a nation, we do not yet have enough designated crossings. “Motorcyclists…

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining, Honourable Floyd Green, has announced a bold new push to modernize rural infrastructure through the Government’s $900 million Farm Road Rehabilitation Programme. Speaking last Tuesday (May 27) during his 2025/26 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives, Minister Green highlighted that the programme will target 60 farm roads this year, with a critical focus on long-term durability and proper drainage infrastructure. “We are going to be doing more substantial programmes,” Minister Green stated. “We are looking to ensure that wherever we do a road, the appropriate drainage is put in and it can stand up for a long time.” More farm roads being improved, benefiting thousands of farmers The Minister also reported that in 2024, the Government had spent $870 million, completing 41 roads under the original allocation and an additional 53 roads, including nine in the Coffee Belt, under emergency allocations. This year's plan also includes a strategic new element of $45 million, which has been earmarked for road maintenance, a move aimed at preserving investments already made and ensuring sustainable access for rural communities. “What the Opposition did in four years, this administration now does in four months,” the Minister…

The Government has committed $23.6 billion to the Pedro Plains Irrigation Expansion Project in St. Elizabeth. The project will draw from the Black River surface flow to expand irrigation access to more than 6,000 farmers across 4,000 hectares of land. Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness will officially break ground in July 2025 for the project, which will be a game-changing initiative to expand agricultural productivity and land ownership. Speaking last Tuesday (May 27) during his 2025/26 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Floyd Green says the initiative includes a significant land regularization component. Already 19,000 parcels have been mapped, and cadastral surveys have been completed for 1,000 parcels. Government to deliver free titles for St. Elizabeth farmers under the programme As part of the project, Minister Green said 1,000 land titles will be generated free of cost for area residents, addressing long-standing challenges in land ownership. “For a long time, we haven't had titles for our land in St. Elizabeth. As a part of this project, we will be generating 1,000 titles free of cost for the residents in that belt. And when we break ground, the Prime Minister will hand out 200 that…

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says there is an urgent need for Jamaica's education system to be more purposeful and industry-aligned. Prime Minister Holness says this focus would ensure a work-ready, problem-solving cohort of Jamaicans who are not only knowledgeable but also fully equipped to drive economic growth. Speaking on Wednesday (May 28) at the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education, Dr. Holness emphasized that the country’s education system must not only cultivate knowledge but also foster reasoning, problem-solving, positive attitudes, and alignment with the nation’s industrial and economic priorities. “We have taken bold steps to reform teacher education, protect the teaching profession, and increase alignment between the classroom and the demands of the real world. We must ensure that our education system is aligned with our industry, our commerce, and our economy,” Prime Minister Holness said. Dr. Holness warned that without fundamental literacy and numeracy, misalignment between education and workforce needs will persist. “The misalignment started when we de-emphasized or were not able to teach as is required, numeracy and mathematics. The other element is literacy and the ability to reason and compose responses,” Dr. Holness said. In the meantime, the Prime Minister also addressed the growing…

The St. Catherine North police Zone 2 is reporting a 40% reduction in murders. Zone 2 includes the communities of Ewarton, Bog Walk, Linstead, and Guys Hill. The encouraging update was presented to Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness by Deputy Superintendent Marcia Blake, Zone Commander for the area, during a recent security briefing. The decline in murders in the area is accompanied by a broader trend of reductions across all major crime categories in the country. The Government continues to promote policy-based strategies to advance police operational, community-focused, and intelligence-led approaches aimed at maintaining peace and promoting long-term safety. “As the murder rate goes down and the threat of gangs and reprisal killings is removed from consideration, then you can see a greater opening up and approvals for parties,” said Prime Minister Holness, noting the important link between security and community confidence. Dr. Holness also highlighted how crime reduction efforts support Jamaica’s growing entertainment sector, particularly as the island approaches the busy summer season. “What we should be doing now is to engage the promoters, the entertainers and those persons who are in that economy to say, how do we create safe venues, safe events?” the Prime Minister added, stressing…

The parish of St. James has marked a significant public safety milestone with one murder in the parish in the month of May and an overall 67% decline in murders since the start of the year. The St. James police is reporting the major reduction reflecting the continued success of Jamaica’s national security and community-based crime reduction strategies. As of June 1, 2025, 22 murders have been recorded in St. James since the start of the year, compared to 68 over the same period in 2024. This marks a 67 percent reduction, representing one of the most significant year-on-year declines in violent crime for the parish in recent history, for a parish that once led the murder statistics. This progress was discussed during a briefing between Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness and Commanding Officer of the St. James police Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels. “I want to congratulate yourself and your team. You have done an amazing job to just have one murder for the month of May and to bring down murders overall. I think when you put the reduction in murders along with the travel advisory upgrade for us to a level two, it augurs well for the tourism belt…

The sustained and strategic investment in national security by the Holness administration has resulted in a historic transformation of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), which is now reaping measurable success, including a national 43.3% reduction in murders. Speaking recently, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang outlined that the Government’s multi-billion-dollar investment in security has significantly enhanced the capacity and professionalism of the security forces, leading to major reductions in violent crime. “As of [May 29], the murder rate is 43.3 percent below what it was last year. That means we have a reduction of some 210 murders compared to this period last year,” Dr. Chang stated. “This is the lowest rate of homicide on the island since 1991.” Dr. Chang further explained that major crimes are down by 19.3%, and Jamaica’s crime victimization level remains one of the lowest in the region, at under 20 percent, indicating a strong suppression of random criminal activity. The country also recorded only 188 murders in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest quarterly figure since the JCF began keeping disaggregated data in 2001. Dr. Chang noted that the current second quarter is on track to surpass that record, with…

In a major update delivered to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Acting Commanding Officer for the Clarendon Police Division, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Cardoza, reported substantial declines in serious crimes across the parish. The commanding officer shared that murders are down by 53%, shootings by 40%, and overall crime by 27%. This, he said, is as a result of intelligence-led policing, strong community partnerships, and visible police presence. “I am privileged to announce that the Clarendon Division has been doing well in their crime reduction efforts,” said DSP Cardoza. “We are doing pretty well in reducing crimes. This we attribute to our continued intelligence-driven policing, our community engagements, and our stakeholder partnerships with other agencies and the community.” During a visit on Friday (May 30) in the parish, Prime Minister Holness commended the report and noted the significance of the progress being made in rural areas such as Clarendon. DSP Cardoza confirmed that reductions have been seen across the wider parish, not just in isolated areas, describing the improvements as unprecedented. “For the parish in general, we are seeing a reduction. This is something that we have not seen for years. We are coming from a time when we are…

The national minimum wage has now seen a 158% increase since 2016, with the latest increase taking effect yesterday June 1, 2025. The Government of Jamaica, led by Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, has progressively increased the minimum wage policies. As of June 1, 2025, the national minimum wage moved up to $16,000 per 40-hour work week. This new wage applies equally to industrial security guards, who have also seen their weekly compensation increase to $16,000. This latest increase brings the minimum wage to its highest level in Jamaica’s history. In 2016 the national minimum wage stood at $6,200, the Government has raised it by an unprecedented 158%. The increase represents real movement to assist persons earning low wages. “This Government recognizes that the contribution of minimum wage earners, household workers, artisans, labourers, store clerks, and security personnel, is vital,” said Prime Minister Holness. Furthermore, the wage increase forms a cornerstone of the administration’s wider national development strategy, one that is already yielding transformative results. The minimum wage increase comes as the Planning Institute of Jamaica reported that the country’s poverty rate fell from 16.7% in 2021 to a historic low of 8.2% in 2023, the lowest level since records…