News from the OPM

Entity to provide the first provisioning of the “Get Every Illegal Gun” Fund of 25 million dollars. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that the National Security Council (NSC) today had important discussions with a view to making adjustments to the operations of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA). The discussions included: The process of application for firearms The ineligibility criteria (who cannot apply for a firearm) The approval process for firearms The mainstreaming of the intelligence agencies in the approval process The removal of residual discretion of ministers to approve firearm licenses The introduction of new technologies for the marking and tracing of firearms and ammunition A new and more and in-depth system of vetting of persons at both the FLA and the Jamaica Customs Agency The changing of the requirement to serve on the board of the FLA to include a fit and proper criterion The Prime Minister stated that in short order, there will be a fulsome report on the final decisions of the NSC regarding the matters discussed. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister announced that FLA will provide the first provisioning of the “Get Every Illegal Gun” Fund, of 25 million dollars. The Prime Minister again urged every Jamaican…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that, effective Friday, February 25, 2022, the curfew hours will be from midnight (nightly) to 5:00 am the following morning, until 5:00 am on March 18, 2022. Noting that the country was seeing the end of the 4th wave of infections with the test positivity rate and the rate of hospitalisation declining significantly, the Prime Minister said greater relaxation of the DRMA measures is to be expected. In keeping with this, Prime Minister Holness said: “With all our indicators showing rapid improvement since our peak in January 2022, the science and the data would clearly support a further widening of the guard rails to allow more economic and social activity.” The Prime Minister who was speaking at a Press Briefing yesterday, February 22, 2022,  also announced the following changes: Funerals & Burials The current maximum of 20 persons allowed to physically attend funerals and burials will be increased to 100. This number includes mourners, clergy, and any other support personnel. The Prime Minister reminded the public that burials are permitted only between 9 am and 5 pm, Mondays through Fridays. Public Sector Events, Weddings & Annual General Meetings The maximum number of persons permitted to…

Encourages Them to Be Exemplars of the Behaviours They Want to Promote in the Wider Society Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging Parliamentarians to be mindful of their conduct in Parliament and to be exemplars of the behaviours they want to promote in the wider society. Prime Minister Holness underscored that the work of the Parliamentarian is supremely important, especially as it relates to the oversight of the executive, the civil service, and the civil bureaucracy. The Prime Minister said: “Oftentimes there has been a perspective that the work of the Parliamentarian is less than important relative to the work of a Minister. Let me say here that, that should never be the thought in any parliamentarian's mind, in any back bencher's mind, in any mind of the Opposition. The work of the Parliamentarian is supremely important, particularly as it relates to the oversight of the executive and the oversight of the civil service, and the civil bureaucracy. It is through the work of the Parliamentarians that the average man can get his opinions into, sometimes what is a very dense, public bureaucracy that can be insensitive to the opinions and feelings of the masses. Parliamentarians are the conduit of…

Greater Focus on Ensuring No Delays to the Start of Parliament Prime Minister Holness says the Government will break ground for the new Parliament building this year. He says this will increase the capability and the capacity of the Parliament to properly administer, oversee and interrogate public affairs. The Prime Minister noted that the work of Parliamentarians has been hindered due to the constraints of the current Parliament. In this regard, he said this new Parliament is not a demonstration of frivolity but rather a response to critical needs. The Prime Minister also noted that it is symbolic that in Jamaica’s 60th year, it will be breaking ground for this important structure. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister noted that greater focus is being placed on ensuring that the business of the country proceeds without delay. He said since the start of the year, all Parliamentary sessions started on time and that this is a trend he intends to continue.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that effective Friday, February 11, 2022, the curfew hours will be from 11:00 pm nightly to 5:00 am the following morning, until  5:00 am on February 25, 2022. Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the announcement while speaking in Parliament today, (Thursday, February 10, 2022). The Prime Minister said all indicators are showing rapid improvement in our COVID-19 indicators since the recorded peak at the start of the year. Therefore the Prime Minister said: “In line with the management strategy that I had outlined in this Honourable House in November 2021, the science and the data would clearly support a widening of the guard rails to allow more economic activity.” In the meantime, the current maximum of 100 persons allowed to physically attend worship services will be replaced with a capacity limit determined based on the size of the place of worship divided by 36 square feet. Further, the Prime Minister stated that all other measures will remain unchanged. Prime Minister Holness said: “Our management of the pandemic has always been evidence-based data-driven, proportionate and situationally appropriate. The changes to the measures I have announced represent a continuation of the gradual and controlled process of…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has reported that in the 2021/2022 parliamentary year, the Government passed more legislation and held more committee meetings than the previous year, thus significantly increasing overall productivity. Speaking this afternoon (February 10, 2022) at the Parliamentarians Luncheon at Jamaica House, the Prime Minister said; “I am pleased to report that despite the challenges we can still report progress. In the 2020-2021 parliamentary year, Parliament held 36 Joint Select Committee meetings and 81 Sessional Committee meetings, totalling 117 meetings. In the 2021-2022 parliamentary year just ended, Parliament conducted 133 Joint Select Committee meetings and 71 Sessional Committee meetings, totalling 174 meetings. If meetings are an index for work and effort, then it is clear that Parliament is doing more work and making more effort.”   With the passage of 26 pieces of legislation in the last parliamentary year, the Prime Minister further stated, “If the legislation passed is that sign of actual outcome and achievement, then we can report that in the parliamentary year ended we passed 26 pieces of legislation. In the previous year, we did 19.” Importantly, the Prime Minister noted that the decrease in Sessional Committee meetings was because the Government shifted its focus to…

Talks to be hosted by various institutions including the Universities and the Church Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the two-party dialogue between the Government and Opposition, the Vale Royal talks, will resume before the end of this month, (February 2022). The Vale Royal Talks are a mechanism for members of the two major political parties to have bipartisan discussions on critical issues of national importance. Prime Minister Holness reiterated the Government’s commitment to a bipartisan approach to finding solutions to Jamaica’s common social problems. Noting that the Vale Royal property on Montrose Road, St. Andrew, in its current condition, is not presently able to accommodate the discussions, Prime Minister Holness reasoned that various institutions including the Universities and the Church could facilitate these important meetings. The Prime Minister said: “The Vale Royal Talks, in name, will be held at venues across Jamaica where we will resume the process, Opposition and Government, of reviewing our social and political institutions that are in need of a rethink.” Prime Minister Holness was speaking today (February 10, 2022) at the Prime Minister’s Lunch for Parliamentarians on the lawns of Jamaica House following the ceremonial opening of the Houses of Parliament.

Prime Minister Appeals to Loved Ones of Those Who Have Guns, to Give Them Up Prime Minister Andrew Holness is today warning young men who may be in possession of illegal guns, as well as those connected to gunmen, to cease and desist, or face grim consequences. In a statement today, the Prime Minister said: “My message today is directed to the many young men who have illegal weapons in their possession; who hide these weapons or as they say, “lock them”; who sell them or rent them; who carry them or courier them; who use them; the shottas; those who hang around the gunmen; and the girlfriends; baby mothers; sisters and mothers, who give them cover and protection. Take careful note of the actions to recover guns so far, including the arrest or dispatch of gunmen. If you have a gun, we will find it and the consequences if you are connected, will be grim. The Prime Minister is also appealing to the mothers and family members of young men who have illegal guns, to talk to their sons, to warn them and to discourage them from criminal behaviour. The Prime Minister said, “Help them to give up the…

Multimillion-Dollar Reward Fund Being Setup for Information on Illegal Guns Prime Minister Andrew Holness is appealing to persons who are in possession of illegal weapons to give them up and to use the information channels available to provide information on where illegal guns can be recovered and gunmen arrested. The Prime Minister’s appeal comes as the Government rolled out “Operation Get Every Illegal Gun”. Noting that there are several key elements to the “Get Every Illegal Gun” campaign, the Prime Minister said some are highly confidential and have already considerably increased the capacity of Jamaica’s security forces to detect guns, as has been demonstrated over the last month, through the “surgical” finding of more and more guns and gunmen. Describing other elements of the plan as public facing, the Prime Minister said as the operation takes effect, the public should be given enough advance notice and warning, so that they cannot claim ignorance and unfairness. This, as very soon the penalty for possessing an illegal weapon will be significantly increased. The Prime Minister said, “In a few days, we will take a new Illegal Firearms Bill to Parliament, which will create several new offenses, in addition to possession, which when taken together…