News from the OPM

To strengthen the implementation of the new Road Traffic Act, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has directed the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to undertake weekly reviews and provide reports on the enforcement and effectiveness of the measures as well as any concerns expressed by the public. The Government recognizes that with these significant changes to the road traffic laws and enhanced enforcement,  a period of consistent review has to be undertaken to ensure the engagement of the entire nation and to achieve a high level of compliance.  The Government has taken note of the concerns regarding the requirement to convey a child in the appropriate child restraint system. The provision was first incorporated in the Road Traffic Act in 2001 and was specifically deliberated by the Joint Select Committee chaired by Dr Omar Davies in 2015, which recommended that “the Act require that a  child would have to be in a restraint system while being transported in a motor vehicle.”  In keeping with our consistent review, the Government will have deliberation on the matter at the next meeting of the Road Safety Council.  The National Road Safety Council is set to meet on  February 9, 2023, when the Prime Minister will consider the first review. The Prime Minister said, “ The continuous increase in  road traffic deaths and injuries has been a major concern for this Government, and the new RTA and its effective enforcement is  essential to reducing the risk of fatalities and keeping vulnerable road users safe, including pedestrians, cyclists, children, elders and people with disabilities.”

Jamaica is well on its way to becoming a digital society as the Government intensifies policy support for and investments in the development of the digital economy locally. In delivering his keynote address at the opening ceremony for the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s (JSE) 18th Annual Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference at the Jamaica Pegasus on Tuesday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said, “We must take deliberate steps to transition not only to the digital economy but to become a digital society. And your government has taken firm steps in this regard,” said the Prime Minister. In the meantime, Prime Minister Holness outlined examples of the Government’s strategic direction over the last few years. These include the execution of the ICT Action Plan and National Broadband initiative which has seen to several public schools, hospitals, parish courts and other public entities receiving high-speed internet access and has enabled the expansion of the Jamaica Eye security camera network. Additionally, the Prime Minister discussed the implementation of the National Identification System (NIDS) which is presently in the technical pilot phase and will clearly link citizens’ physical identity with their digital identity, invariably enhancing the ease of doing business. Prime Minister Holness also celebrated Jamaica’s boldness in being the first country to recognise its digital currency as legal tender with the introduction of JAM-DEX in 2022. “No bank account is required to hold the digital currency and you can get a digital wallet issued by a bank or authorised payment service provider with simple, customer-friendly processes for easy access,” said the Prime Minister. This was Prime Minister Holness’ 10th year at the JSE Conference which was held under the theme, ‘Capital Markets Redefined: Achieving the Impossible'.

With allegations of a multi-million-dollar fraud engulfing local private investment firm, Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL), Prime Minister Andrew Holness has established that the Government will lead with transparency in all matters concerning the investigation. Noting the Government’s sensitivity to the international dimension surrounding the case, the Prime Minister said, “I am not aware of any systemic issues in the financial system that could cause contagion, but if actors in the sector, or the common person consumes information that is incorrect, false or misleading, it could impact the way in which economic actors, make their financial decisions, and create a crisis that does not need to exist.” In this regard, the Prime Minister encouraged Jamaicans to ensure they receive their information from verifiable and trustworthy sources. “We must act responsibly. People are asking why I took so long to make a statement, simply because when I speak anything I say must be unassailable,” said Prime Minister Holness. In addition, the Prime Minister underscored that the Government will not socialise debt, nor reward the failure of financial institutions to be prudential and protect their customers. Considering this, Prime Minister Holness said, “This would send a message that the banks can be negligent and expect the society to take responsibility for their negligence. We did this before and it made the entire country poor and took us years to recover.” The Prime Minister also gave his assurance that the full force of the law will be brought against those responsible for the reported fraudulent activities at SSL. “There will be no political interference or cover up. We will get to the truth of the matter and bring…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has reasserted the Government’s commitment to, and record of accountability in the use public funds. In reflecting on the two budget cycles since the start of the pandemic, the Prime Minister recalled instances where the Government came under pressure to increase social spending even in the face of growing and unpredictable crises. “There were calls for us to throw caution to the wind which we didn’t do. We didn’t ‘run wid it’ and that’s why we are in this good position with the capacity to look forward positively and enjoy this stability now,” said the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Holness emphasised that the Government was deliberate in its strategy and kept its focus on ensuring that after the pandemic ends, Jamaica would be well-positioned to rebound strongly. Regarding this, Prime Minister Holness added, “This Government undertook the largest social spending in response to any crisis in Jamaica and not one question about the probity, integrity, and effectiveness of the spend has been raised. We spent carefully, we spent strategically, and we focused on critical areas. We spent, but we kept the receipts.” The Prime Minister cited this accountability and the attendant resilience as one of the major differences between a decade ago, and today. He also underscored the government’s emphasis on resilience which ensures Jamaica is not left without a buffer in the event of inevitable shocks.

Nearly a decade after the local economy began its recovery from the global recession of 2007 – 2009, Prime Minister Andrew Holness is reminding the public that Jamaica’s tremendous journey of economic turnaround is reason to be optimistic about the country’s future. Speaking at the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s (JSE) 18th Annual Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel last evening, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the strength and resilience of the Jamaican economy and local financial sector. Concerning this, Prime Minister Holness said, “Our financial market is a national asset and a regional leader; it gives Jamaica a competitive advantage and we must protect it at all costs.” The Prime Minister continued by citing achievements such as the JSE’s over 400% climb in five years, earning the title of the World’s Best-performing Stock Market in 2015 and 2018, according to Bloomberg News. At the same time, Prime Minister Holness referenced other key indicators of economic growth and stability. Among these were the historic low unemployment rate of six percent recorded in 2022, the Net International Reserves being 27 percent higher than pre-COVID levels, and economic growth of 5.9 percent recorded in the third quarter of the financial year, marking six consecutive quarters of growth. In making the comparison between the current economic situation and the decades preceding 2013, the Prime Minster added, “I believe Jamaica has achieved an economic turnaround. Within six years, Jamaica has successfully cut its public debt by [the equivalent of] 50% of GDP without any debt relief.” Prime Minister Holness says Jamaica’s record of fiscal responsibility and commitment to economic resilience continue to encourage an optimistic outlook. He said, “Jamaica will always experience shocks and therefore,…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Government is eager to move ahead with plans to construct six (6) STEM Schools and one (1) STEAM School as part of the overall plan to transform Jamaica’s education system. The Prime Minister said the environment in which children learn, is critical to the achievement of high educational outcomes. He said, “Our teachers are the most important variable in education, but we cannot underestimate the value of the infrastructure that is necessary to support a transformed education system. “ The Prime Minister said significant improvement in educational outcome can be achieved by changing the child’s learning environment, noting that the very way in which a classroom is built and organized can yield improvements in educational outcomes. In this regard, the Prime Minister said building the new schools is an important undertaking. He said the schools will not be administered under the old scheme of education, but rather an entirely new scheme, to be developed. These schools the Prime Minister emphasized will be innovative in their outlook and will be instrumental components of the Government’s larger education transformation plan. The Prime Minister noted that the last transformation in Jamaica’s education system started in 2004, and…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the Government is moving with speed and intent to change the penalty for murder. The proposed sentencing scheme is as follows: For capital murder, the penalty would be Death or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and for non-capital murder, the penalty would be 45 years to life, meaning a minimum of 45 years must be served before parole is considered. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Holness said division on the use of constitutional tools to Fight Crime Allows Criminals to Persist. He said, “As society moves back and forth on academic arguments, people are losing their lives, and the more we remain divided on the subject and on taking instrumental and decisive action, criminals feel as if they have crevices to hide.” The Prime Minister said the use of constitutional tools in a judicious way that respects people’s rights and preserves Jamaica’s liberal democracy is effective in fighting crime. He indicated that, when the Government uses these tools, it does so with the highest respect and regard for human rights. The Prime Minister said he is hopeful of a consensus on the use of constitutional tools, but in the meantime, the Government is engaged in…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the Government is committed to Jamaica transforming from a Constitutional Monarchy to a Republic. Noting that the process was never expected to be straightforward, the Prime Minister questioned the motivation of those who called for Jamaica to embrace a new status as a Republic, but who are now appearing to play political games. Notwithstanding, the Prime Minister said the Government will remain focused and move deliberately towards the objective of becoming a Republic. He said, “The process is not simple, and we have known it would not be, but we are making sure to check every box and moving ahead with speed and alacrity; Jamaica must become a republic.” Prime Minister Holness was speaking on Saturday (January 14, 2023) at the 25th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner of the East Central St James Education Fund in Montego Bay.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says a Total Waste Management system, an integrated system, will be developed in Jamaica and will see a long-term concession to construct a waste to energy plant in Jamaica. He was speaking on Saturday (January 14, 2023) at the 25th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner of the East Central St James Education Fund in Montego Bay. The Prime Minister said, “Effectively we will be creating a market, a circular economy in waste which will become material for energy generation; waste therefore will soon have value.” The Prime Minister said the Retirement and Riverton City Dumps will be closed and replaced by a sanitary landfill to be constructed via a public-private partnership in the center of the island where land has already been identified. The Prime Minister said there will also be a long-term concession for the collection of waste and the building of transfer stations. Cabinet is expected to obtain by the end of January 2023, the business cases for these projects for approval, following which proposals will be invited from investors. Once a new Municipal Waste Management System has been engaged, Prime Minister Holness underscored that the mode of work of the National Solid Waste Management Authority…