News from the OPM

The  Government of Jamaica on Wednesday (June 21, 2023) announced a significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to reform the public sector and enhance the effectiveness of governance. Prime Minister Andrew Holness tabled a Green Paper and a Ministry Paper in Parliament with comprehensive job descriptions for Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ministers of Government. “These job descriptions mark a crucial step forward in providing clarity, accountability, and transparency in the roles and responsibilities of our elected representatives. By clearly defining the expectations and duties of MPs and Ministers, we aim to strengthen our democratic institutions and optimize the delivery of public services to the Jamaican people,” said Prime Minister Holness. Speaking about the broader national context of public sector reform, Prime Minister Holness emphasized the government's commitment to undertaking ambitious and far-reaching programs of transformation. These encompass fiscal and monetary reforms, financial management improvements, infrastructure development, housing sector enhancements, urban space development, transportation modernization, security forces' capacity-building, education system reform, and constitutional arrangements review. Recognizing the persistent "implementation deficit" that has hindered previous reform efforts, the government acknowledges the importance of addressing capacity issues within the public service. Over the years, Jamaica has experienced a brain drain, with talented…

Today, we gather to officially hand over The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) Therapeutic Centre, the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean. The project was managed by The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and financed by the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) through its Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) grant funding valued at approximately Two Hundred Million Jamaican Dollars (JMD$200,000,000). Eighty-Five Point Eight Million Dollars ($85.8M)  was contributed by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), an Agency of the Ministry of Education and Youth. The Therapeutic Centre will facilitate medical treatment, social intervention guidance and psychological support for victims of child abuse.  The Centre will also provide programmes designed specifically to stop the cycle of abuse and violence against children across parishes as well as wholistic and comprehensive support packages for families. Overall, the project will benefit Four Thousand Four Hundred (4,400) children in state care who are in child protection placement (that is, children’s homes, places of safety and living in a family environment) as well as those in foster care and family reintegration and those in need of psychosocial or mental health intervention.   Additionally, the project will…

  “The need for action is urgent and compelling and requires concerted attention.” —Prime Minister Andrew Holness ----------------------------------------------------------- Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging the international community to unite and take urgent action in response to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Haiti. He was delivering the keynote address today (June 16, 2023) at the Special Meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council. With almost half of the country's population, approximately 5.2 million individuals, facing acute hunger, the Prime Minister highlighted the disproportionate impact on children who are facing malnutrition, under-development, illness, and death. He further added that the escalating violence and insecurity have forced many to flee their homes, compromising health, sanitation, and education. The Prime Minister noted that the multifaceted crisis being experienced by Haiti requires a multipronged, multinational response.  In this regard, he says while he welcomes the Humanitarian Response Plan 2023 which outlines an approach to addressing the Haitian crisis, the programme is severely underfunded. He is appealing to international partners to increase contributions to the fund, to ensure the response is adequate and coordinated. The Prime Minister said: “Innovative approaches, including through a humanitarian corridor supported by international partners, would assist in unblocking the supply…

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE MOST HONOURABLE ANDREW HOLNESS, ON, PC, MP PRIME MINISTER OF JAMAICA AT THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL “Saving Lives: Addressing the Urgent Food Security Needs of Haiti” 16 June 2023 _______________________________________________________________________   Madam President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me first express sincere thanks to the President of the Economic and Social Council for convening this well-needed meeting to discuss the urgent food security crisis in Haiti. While I am unable to be with you in person, I was determined to add Jamaica’s voice and advocacy at this Special Meeting, bearing in mind the full commitment we have made to supporting our brothers and sisters in our neighbouring CARICOM state, Haiti. I also acknowledge the statement made by the Right Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who spoke on behalf of the CELAC group of countries.   Madam President, I am addressing you this morning on the heels of the Kingston Talks on Haiti, held earlier this week in Jamaica.  The Council’s meeting today could therefore not be more timely and provides evidence of and the need for a continuum of care in the international community’s…

Statement  By  The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP  Prime Minister of Jamaica   At the   Sitting of the House of Representatives  On  June 13, 2023  ________________________________________________________________ Madam Speaker, I'm inclined to consider very carefully the position raised by the member from St. Andrew South-Eastern, as I'm very sympathetic to the positions and discussions raised by the member from St. Mary Western and the member from North-Eastern St. Andrew.  Madam Speaker, we are a country of laws and the rule of law is supreme. The Parliament is the instrument through which we make laws. Madam Speaker, the commissions get their power through the laws this Parliament makes and the Parliament gives an opportunity for Members who are aggrieved or Members who want to make a personal statement to express their perspectives within this House and have the protection of the Parliament in making their statements and it has been utilized.  Madam Speaker, the concerns raised are valid concerns but we must always remember that we are the lawmakers and we have the power given to us by the electorate to change the laws to make the laws more effective, to make them stronger in the public interest, indeed, to make…

Opening Statement By The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP Prime Minister of Jamaica At the Meeting of Haitian Stakeholders At Liberty Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade On June 11, 2023 _____________________________________________________________ Thank you Madam Chairperson, Senator the Honorable Kemina Johnson Smith Commonwealth case you thought she was Minister of Foreign Affairs for another country, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Jamaica, y friend, The Honorable Philip Davis, Prime Minister of the Common Wealth of The Bahamas and Chair of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government, my friend His Excellency Ariel Henry, Prime Minister of The Republic of Haiti Her Excellency, Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community. Ministers of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas and Haiti Members of the CARICOM Eminent Group Mr. Bruce Golding, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, The Right Honourable Perry Christie, former Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Honourable Kenny Anthony, former Prime Minister of St. Lucia. Representatives of Partner Countries the United States, Canada, and International Organizations such as the OAS and the UN, Senior Officials of Government and the CARICOM Secretariat, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, and especially our Haitian brothers and sisters, Members of…

Remarks By The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MP Prime Minister of Jamaica At the CARIBBEAN NATIONS SECURITY CONFERENCE (CANSEC) 2023 ROSE HALL HOTEL ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2023 ________________________________________________________________   Thank you, moderator. Good morning everyone. Welcome to sunny Jamaica. I sincerely apologize for the rains, though locally we are, I must confess, very happy because it could possibly mean a break in our ongoing drought, but allow me to acknowledge our Deputy Prime Minister, Dr The Honourable Horace Chang, Ms Amy Tachco, Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Jamaica, Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman and General Laura Richardson, host of CANSEC 2023. Our Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson, Chiefs of Defence Staff and Commissioners of Police from across the region, Commissioner Stewart Beckford, Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones, Head of CARICOM IMPACS, representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Government of Jamaica, representatives of the CARICOM Secretariat and other regional and international organizations. Senior Defence and Security Officials, specially invited guests, ladies and gentlemen. Allow me to specially acknowledge a good friend of Jamaica, Daniel Erickson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for the Western Hemisphere.…

Remarks  By   The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP  Prime Minister of Jamaica  At the   National Disaster Risk Management Council Meeting  On  June 1, 2023  ___________________________________________________________  Good morning, everyone, allow me to part with salutations. We meet here each year to review our plans to ensure that we are ready should a natural disaster hit us, particularly a natural disaster of a national scale. It is an important meeting each year because it sets the tone for the government and that tone is preparedness. If we fail to plan, then you know the other side of that equation and failure is not an option. So, I do not need to go any further with my speech minister; I could take my seat. An important element of organization is to bring the people who occupy the functions to what is called a mind share. The government of Jamaica, like any other government, is complex with many different functions held and executed by many different people with diverse outlooks, and different motivations, but for the organization to work on a common challenge such as a natural disaster, all its leaders in particular must be of a shared mind. And so the…

Remarks By The Most Honorable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP Prime Minister of Jamaica At the IDB Hosted Event Jamaica: The Road To Digital Government At the AC Hotel By Mariott On May 31, 2023 Thank you, Master of Ceremonies, Leader of the Opposition Mr. Mark Golding, Senator Dr The Honourable Dana Morris Dixon- it gives me such great pleasure to just roll that off- our new Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for Skills and Digital Transformation. I thought about having you deliver the speech this morning, but I saw my good friend and believe me, he is, the Leader of the Opposition made a statement about technology and I thought it would be such a good opportunity, Mark to respond to you. I note your position in the room. Other Members of the Cabinet, I see Senator Hill here with us. Chief Justice, it is good to see you sir. I know that you are an advocate for the integration of technology into the business of government and justice as well. Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Permanent Secretaries, Mr. Tariq Alli, General Manager of the Caribbean Country Department/ Country Representative for Jamaica and members of IDB Jamaica, stakeholders of…