POST CABINET REPORT For Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Below are the decisions from Cabinet:
1. Inclusion of the construction of the Forensic Pathology Autopsy Suite and the construction of the Westmoreland Divisional Police Headquarters projects into the Public Sector Investment Programme
Cabinet gave approval for the construction of the Forensic Pathology Autopsy Suite in Kingston and the Westmoreland Divisional Police Headquarters to be included in the Public Sector Investment Programme. Approval is also given for the provision of fiscal support. The Ministry of National Security noted that these two projects would positively affect the security landscape for a safe and secure Jamaica. The current divisional headquarters in Westmoreland was non-functional and the conditions were deplorable, with the parish being one of the more challenging areas to police. The lack of an autopsy suite had resulted in several issues over the years, chief of which was the cost of outsourcing the services to privately operated funeral homes. Over the past five years, it has cost the government $482.4 million for the storage of bodies. The land for the construction of the two facilities is secured and the construction is expected to be completed in two years. The construction cost is $555.9 million for the autopsy suite and $522.1 million for the divisional headquarters.
2. Agreement for cooperation in Education for Professional and Academic support between Jamaica and the Republic of Cuba
Cabinet approved the terms of the proposed Agreement of Cooperation in Education for Professional and Academic Support between the governments of Jamaica and Cuba. The recruitment of Cuban teachers to serve in the education system commenced in 1997, as there was a need for foreign language teachers in Jamaica. Under the proposed agreement, Cuban teachers would be contracted solely as the need arises. The arrangement would not be at a disadvantage to the equally qualified Jamaican teachers who would be given priority in these instances. Since the inception of the programme over 370 Cuban teachers and professors known as specialists had rendered their services to teach in our schools and colleges in the subjects of Spanish, mathematics, physical education, agricultural science chemistry, physics, biology and integrated science. The agreement had been outstanding for several years as there were teachers from Cuba currently employed in Jamaica who were not under a formal contractual arrangement.
3. Nutritional support for students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) amid the Covid pandemic
Cabinet gave approval for the advancement of seven hundred and fifty two million nine hundred and sixty one thousand dollars ($752,961,000.00) from the 2021/2022 approved estimates. The said advanced sum is to be cleared in the 2021/2022 supplementary estimates, for the purpose of paying cash grants to parents/guardians of student on PATH at the early childhood, primary and secondary levels for 30 days as a means of ensuring continued nutritional support amid the closure of schools. In 2020/2021 the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information collaborated with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, to provide cash grants directly to the parents of the PATH beneficiaries for the number of days that schools were closed due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The cash grants were calculated at a daily rate of $100.00 for the early childhood level and $150 for both the primary and secondary levels. The aim of the initiative is to provide nutritional support to students on the PATH in light of in light of adverse effect of Covid.
4. Reports
Cabinet received and approved the following annual reports and/or financial statements to be tabled in Parliament:
- Scientific Research Council 2019/2020
- Independence Park Limited April 2017 to March 2018
- Jamaica Promotions Corporation JAMPRO 2019 an and March 2020
- Jamaica Fire Brigade 2013/2014 and 2014/15
- Jamaica Fire Brigade 2015/2016
- National Solid Waste Management Authority 2019/2020
5. Contracts
– Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract for the supply and delivery of five vertical turbine can-type pumping units and two spare turbines for the Pepper Relift Facility in St. Elizabeth. The contract is in the amount of US eight hundred and ninety two thousand three hundred and fifty seven dollars and ninety cents (US$892,357.90), to Industrial and Municipal Supplies Incorporated.
– Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract for security guard services at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security offices island-wide to King Alarm Systems Limited in the amount of two hundred and fifty three million two hundred and sixty five thousand six hundred and sixty three dollars and sixty five cents ($253,265,663.65.)
– Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract to Seureca Development Environenery Services Limited for transaction advisory services to establish an integrated solid waste management public private partnership project. The contract is in the amount of US eight hundred and sixty thousand three hundred and thirty one dollars and twenty-eight cents (US$860,331.28) plus GCT.
– Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract to Marathon Insurance Brokers Limited for the provision of brokerage services for the Port Authority of Jamaica for the third year of a three year contract (April 1 2019 to March 31, 2022) with the following premiums excluding GCT of 15% for the third year commencing April 1, 2021. Placement of US dollar denominated policies which is two million three hundred thousand and forty three dollars (US$2,300,043.00) and placement of Jamaican dollar denominated policies which is eighteen million five hundred and seventeen thousand nine hundred and eighty dollars (J$18,517,980.00.)
– Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract in the amount of ninety six million six hundred and thirty seven thousand three hundred dollars ($96,637,300) for the Bay Farm Road Sewerage Improvement Works to D.T Brown Construction Limited.
– Cabinet gave approval for the award of two contracts for the supply of pharmaceuticals for the Jamaica Drug for the Elderly Programme JADEP: National Health Fund (NHF) for a period of 36 months. The contracts are awarded to Massy Distribution in the amount of two hundred and fifteen million six hundred and thirty eight thousand seven hundred and eighty dollars ($215,638,780.00) and Facey Commodity Company Limited in the amount of one hundred and forty five million forty thousand dollars ($145,040,000.00)
– Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract for the provision of security services at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in the amount of one hundred and forty four million two hundred and seventy four thousand nine hundred and sixty three dollars and fifty cents ($144,274,963.50) including GCT to King Alarm Systems Limited.
– Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract for the installation and commissioning of a neurosurgical microscope at the University of Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) to Leica Microsystems in the amount of eighty nine million three hundred fifty thousand four hundred and seventy three dollars and eighty two cents ($89,350,473.82.)
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Contact:
The Honourable Fayval Williams
Minister of Education, Youth and Information