Prime Minister Holness Emphasizes Strong Economy as the Key to Delivering What Matters Most to Jamaicans
“We must recognize that we cannot borrow our way to development, and neither can we tax our way to development. We have to build a strong economy, as the engine to deliver essential needs like roads, water supply, and housing.”
—Prime Minister Holness
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Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has reaffirmed that Jamaica’s economic stability and growth are the foundation for national progress, emphasizing that a strong and resilient economy is the key to delivering critical infrastructure and essential services to the people.
Speaking on Friday (February 21) at a Diaspora Town Hall Meeting at the UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, Prime Minister Holness highlighted the inextricable link between a strong economy and the ability of the government to meet the needs of its citizens.
“Jamaica must stand on its own two feet. Nobody is coming to rescue us; nobody is coming to give us any favours. We must do what is necessary to rescue ourselves. It is within our abilities to do it,” Prime Minister Holness said.
Dr. Holness stressed that sustainable development cannot be achieved through excessive borrowing or increased taxation, but rather through building a robust economy that enables investment in national infrastructure and public services.
“We must recognize that we cannot borrow our way to development, and neither can we tax our way to development. We have to build a strong economy, as the engine to deliver essential needs like roads, water supply, and housing,” he explained.
The Prime Minister further underscored the importance of citizens understanding how government spending is tied to economic productivity.
“The wages that you are paid in the public sector don’t just fall from the sky, and the road that you want is not by the wave of a wand. It comes from the deliberate and instrumental management of the productive resources of the country, of which you are a critical part, and that the role of government is to empower you to be the productive economic agent,” he stated.
The Prime Minister noted that Jamaica has already taken significant steps in this direction by implementing fiscal policies that ensure responsible borrowing and spending.
Prime Minister Holness reiterated that a strong economy is essential for achieving Jamaica’s development goals and improving the quality of life for all citizens.
“We need every Jamaican to realize that they are an economic agent, that they are a part of the economy. More than that, they have rights to the economy and rights in the economy,” Dr. Holness said.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the government will focus on modernizing our public bureaucracy to improve efficiency, combating crime and violence, and investing in STEM education to cultivate a highly skilled, tech-driven workforce that will propel Jamaica towards a more competitive, resilient, and prosperous future. These are the investments, the Prime Minister said, that will help to build and expand the economy, enabling the government to provide Jamaicans with the things that matter to them most.