POST CABINET REPORT – September 21, 2022
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Minister Chang, Permanent Secretary, Mrs Audrey Sewell; Director Communications, Ms Kimberley McLeod; Press Secretary, Ms Naomi Francis and members of the Media a pleasant morning.
Below are the decisions from Cabinet:
1. Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of a Trade Complaints Mechanism between the Government of Jamaica and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Cabinet gave approval for the negotiation and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of a Trade Complaints Mechanism between the Government of Jamaica and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago had enjoyed strong bilateral ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1963; the two countries also shared a significant and active trade relationship, wherein Trinidad and Tobago was 2
Jamaica’s main trading partner within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) accounting for US$155,184,534.00 or 43% of Jamaica’s total trade value in 2021; and the TCM was proposed given the existing and valuable bilateral trade relations, and was intended to aid in efficient resolution of possible market access issues in order
2. National Invest Fund (NIF) Property Divestment
After consideration, the Cabinet gave approval for the divestment of the eight apartments owned by the National Insurance Fund at Point Village Resort in Negril, Hanover, with bidders having the option to purchase either en bloc, or as individual Strata Lots.
3. Amendment to the Harbours Act, 1874.
After consideration, the Cabinet gave approval for:
- (i) the amendment of section 2 of the Harbours Act in order to define the Authority referred to in the Act as the Port Authority; and
- (ii) the issuing of drafting instructions to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel.
4. National Employment Policy by the Office of the Prime Minister
Cabinet gave approval for the development of the National Employment Policy by the Office of the Prime Minister.
- the NEP would facilitate several modalities of engagement of workers;
- concerns expressed by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries that there were challenges within the agriculture and fisheries sector, particularly the difficulties farmers faced in finding suitable labourers; that there was need to establish a special programme focusing on the agriculture sector such that labour could be found in Jamaica instead of other countries; and, therefore, greater investment was needed in the sector, given its importance to income generation and food security;
- the recommendation for the NEP to target youths who were not academically qualified but were deemed trainable;
- concerns that whilst there were available jobs in the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA), it was infeasible for individuals to travel daily as this was costly; and migration to the KMA had resulted in increased squatting;
- the high unemployment rate in communities and the increased engagement in informal industries;
- the proposals for:
- (a) special consideration to be made for vulnerable groups, noting the need for accessibility to psychosocial services;
- (b) individuals who had not completed their undergraduate degrees to be employed within the public sector and be given a stipend commensurate with work;
Award of Contracts
5. The construction of 12 two-bedroom units at Victoria Street, Kingston 14
Approval for the award of a contract in the amount of $71,686,743.90, inclusive of General Consumption Tax, to SM Quality Construction.
6. Renewal of the Human Employment and Resource Training/National Service Training Agency (HEART/NSTA) Trust Group Health Insurance services
Cabinet gave approval for the award of a contract in the amount of $512,729,740.20, inclusive of General Consumption Tax, to Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited.
|
to Sagicor Life Jamaica Limited Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Councils 7. Managing Committee of the Capital Development Fund the appointment of the Managing Committee of the Capital Development Fund; and gave approval for the appointment of the following persons to the Committee for a period of three years, with effect from 22 August 2022 to 21 August 2025:
8. Jamaica Tertiary Education Commission Tertiary Transformation Steering Committee |
|
9. Ports Security Corps Limited (PSCL) Board of Directors of the Ports Security Corps Limited (PSCL); and gave approval for the appointment of the following persons to the Board for a period of three years, with effect from 25 July 2022 to 24 July 2025:
|