News from the OPM

Cabinet notes protest action taken by some transport operators today in sections of the island and empathizes deeply with each and every Jamaican, including school children whose lives have been disrupted by this action. The Cabinet expresses appreciation to employers, school administrators, and other stakeholders in nation-building, who have shown understanding for their staff and students who experienced difficulties today. The Government will not support lawlessness and disorder and commends the public’s rejection of today’s protest actions and unreasonable demands which fly in the face of the laws of our country and have caused distress for well-thinking Jamaicans who are concerned that these actions display abject disregard for their needs as paying commuters going about their lawful businesses. In the context of high road fatalities and severe injuries resulting from reckless driving on our nation’s roads, we must protect the commuting public and encourage discipline among the motoring public including taxi owners and drivers. The Government is undertaking the internal processes to effectively implement and enforce the new regime under the Road Traffic Act 2018 and its 2022 Regulations, in order to secure greater accountability and discipline on our roads. We call on those who are engaging in the disruption…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says by virtue of its history, Jamaica has longstanding issues with land distribution, an issue with which successive governments since independence have grappled. Noting that while the government regularizes lands for its citizens, there is the practice of irregular settlements which precedes government structured planning. The Prime Minister says this practice limits the prospects of the community with regard to appropriate and effective infrastructure including roads, water supply, sewage systems and garbage collection. The Prime Minister says, all across the country Jamaicans are settling lands irregularly because they are not waiting on the government to provide formal access. This he noted creates chaos in society leading to the creation of communities that are difficult to police, and whose potential for growth and development are limited. To address this major challenge, the Prime Minister says the Government is trying to get ahead of the incredible demand for land and housing by taking strategic actions to help Jamaicans access land and housing assets irrespective of their economic status. One of these strategies is the creation of an effective regulatory environment to enable Jamaicans who are employed, and who have access to resources and income, to access mortgages to…

The Government of Jamaica continues to make homeownership possible for low-income earners breaking ground for the construction of 248 studio apartments at Howard Avenue, St. Andrew on Wednesday, November 9, 2022. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister Andrew Holness underscored that with housing demand on the rise, the National Housing Trust (NHT) continues to create more innovative ideas, projects, and programmes to build more housing solutions for less. The Prime Minister said: “We are redirecting the policies of the NHT to refocus on houses in the price range of persons at the median income in Jamaica, that is the affordable income segment. This means they are for people who are low to middle-income earners.” Continuing, the Prime Minister said, “The project that we are breaking ground for today fits neatly into that category of low to middle-income earners, so those earning minimum wage or just above minimum wage, should be able to access financing through the NHT or the private banking system or from their own resources where applicable, to afford one of these 248 units that will be built here.” The Prime Minister noted that the National Housing Trust has 1505 houses planned for the corporate area which…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness handed over a total of six (6) new homes to deserving Jamaicans between the parishes of Clarendon and St. Catherine yesterday, (November 10, 2022). This brings to 110 the number of houses which have so far been built and delivered under the Government’s New Social Housing Programme (NSHP). Speaking in Kellits, Clarendon, Prime Minister Holness said the programme is being accelerated to meet the needs of vulnerable Jamaicans. He said the Government is placing significant emphasis on the housing needs of vulnerable Jamaicans and wants to make sure that notwithstanding their inability to purchase homes, Jamaicans who meet the criteria, can live in dignity. Prime Minister Holness said; “The Government is allocating resources in our budget to improve the living conditions of our most vulnerable across the country and creating equity in our housing market so that even the poorest of the poor can benefit.” The Prime Minister said it is important to note that the New Social Housing Programme follows a very rigorous investigative process to establish need. Speaking to the larger issue of housing, the Prime Minister said he is only too aware of the need for houses across society and across income brackets.…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says as the Government continues work on improving its processes, public sector workers are encouraged to comply with internal systems while simultaneously executing. Noting that the compliance systems in place are there to safeguard public resources, the Prime Minister says they should not be roadblocks to efficiency. He said, “We need an infusion of technocrats who are consummate in complying with the rules, but who also deliver quickly.” The Prime Minister says it is for this reason that the Jamaica House Fellows, JHF, Programme, which selects some of Jamaica’s brightest minds to be deployed across numerous ministries, departments, and agencies, is so important. The programme, the Prime Minister says, presents an opportunity for the Government to benefit from their talent, ingenuity, and problem-solving skills. The Prime Minister, who was addressing a farewell reception for the second cohort of JHF on Wednesday (November 2) at Jamaica House, said the Government wants to welcome into the ranks of the public sector, persons who will exercise initiative and a willingness to get things done.  In this regard, the Prime Minister says the Jamaica House Fellows programme would have exposed young Jamaicans to the complexities and the paradoxes of Government…

Prime Minster Andrew Holness has recalled one of the best and most lasting pieces of advice he received from Jamaica’s 5th Prime Minster, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga: “Whatever you do, don’t forget the poor.” In keeping with this, Prime Minister Holness added, “In all our policy pursuits, in all the grand ideas, we must ensure that the core of these policies brings along the poor and the most vulnerable in the society and we have never forgotten that.” The Prime Minister was speaking yesterday (November 3, 2022) while delivering his main address at the inaugural Edward Seaga Human Development Lecture at the University of Technology. The lecture also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the HEART/NSTA Trust, which was founded by former Prime Minister Seaga in July 1982. Notably, the HEART/NSTA Trust continues to stand as Jamaica’s foremost national institution for skills training and development. In his 2010 follow-up memoir, ‘My Life and Leadership – Volume 2’, former Prime Minister Seaga wrote, “Among the large number of institutions, I have been responsible for creating, HEART became one of my favourites because it saved thousands of youths by giving them a second opportunity to create a better life.” Since then, HEART…

The concept of a hero is as old as civilization itself. The actual word ‘hero’ comes from the Greeks. Their concept of hero was a mortal, a person, whose accomplishments were considered so superhuman that they are remembered for centuries and eons, becoming immortal and mythical. Heroes represent the known limits of human achievement, and at the same time they show the possibilities of the human potential. The fact that someone, like us, can accomplish something so extraordinary, beyond what we think we could do, evokes respect and honour for both the extraordinary feat and the person. Often, this great feat comes at great personal sacrifice, even the sacrifice of one’s own life. We look at the sacrifice and ask ourselves would we make the ultimate sacrifice of our own life in pursuit of a cause? On Heroes Day, we reflect on the brave and selfless sacrifice of our Heroes who changed the course of history, liberated our people, founded our nation, and made our lives personally better. Our heroes, through their sacrifice and struggle are extraordinary models and lessons in resolve, strength of character, grit, determination, selflessness, grace and dignity. They represent not only the celebrated and memorialized extraordinary…

On Thursday 29 September, Prime Minister Andrew Holness chaired the monthly sitting of the National Security Council (NSC) where the details of the Gun Amnesty that will be introduced as legislated in the new Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act were discussed. The Amnesty will follow and run concurrently with a period of intense public education on the provision of the new firearm law and will give persons in possession of illegal firearms, the opportunity to surrender these weapons to the State, without jeopardy of prosecution. It was agreed that the amnesty will not be for an extended period. The Council has directed the Ministry of National Security to begin the roll out of the public education campaign as a matter of priority. The NSC also reviewed progress on other pieces of legislation to strengthen overall law enforcement, including the Bail Act and the Enhanced Security Measures Act (ESMA).  Briefing on Molly and other dangerous drugs and addictive substances The NSC received a presentation from the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) highlighting the increased use of psychoactive substances and its deviant effect on our youth, particularly coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent situational assessment undertaken in May 2022…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness yesterday (September 28) commissioned 45-kilowatt floating solar panels at the Mona Reservoir. The solar installation is set to bring electricity savings of some one billion dollars annually to the National Water Commission (NWC). It’s the first phase of a project by the NWC to make its systems energy efficient. At the commissioning ceremony, Prime Minister Holness explained that the project, once completed, will help reduce the enormous cost of producing, storing, treating and distributing water, which has contributed to the utility company being unprofitable over the years. Prime Minister Holness hailed the move as a strategic nation-building decision that will benefit generations of Jamaicans. Noting the government’s progress in upgrading public infrastructure, Prime Minister Holness said: “We need to increase the pace of our nation-building infrastructure decisions as well as our capacity and horsepower to take on major projects because the current infrastructure has reached its limit.” In addition, the Prime Minister underscored that Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations remain a central factor in developing sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Prime Minister Holness said: “This Government has shown that we can pursue major development projects, include the people, preserve the environment and improve the general aesthetics…