Speeches by the Prime Minister

Keynote Address By The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP, DLP Prime Minister of Jamaica At the UTECH International Climate Conference On October 17, 2024 _______________________________________ Good morning. Thank you, Master of Ceremonies, Professor Garfield Young, for the mastery with which you have conducted the ceremony. I'm not sure if there is a professorship in directing ceremony and protocol but Mr President, if there is, I know who the candidate is to hold that first seat. The Honourable Fayval Williams or Minister of Education His Excellency Olivier Guyonvarch, our Ambassador to Jamaica from France. Dr Kevin Brown, our President of the University of Technology. And I noted very carefully what the president said that he doesn't hear a lot of noise about climate change in the society, but he hears a lot of noise about it at the government level. I reflected on it and wanted to point out to him that the government doesn't make noise. The government must always make coherent statements, and if we make them more frequently, which we do on climate change, then they will filter down into the consciousness of the people in the society who won't make noise but will make a…

Remarks By The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP Prime Minister of Jamaica At the Contractor’s Materials Testing Laboratory, Montego Bay On October 16, 2024 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today I had the privilege of touring one of the major infrastructure development projects for Jamaica, the Montego Bay Perimeter Road. The Montego Bay Perimeter Road is not only the bypass of Montego Bay, it involves improvement of various roadways within Montego Bay proper and the Long Hill bypass. I'm very impressed with what I have seen. This is one of the Jamaica 60 legacy projects, and we are at 50 percent completion already for such a massive project. Some of the infrastructure work is impressive. We viewed a bridge that is 30 meters high, 180 meters in length, a four-lane bridge. That is possibly the longest bridge in Jamaica, the infrastructure is laudable but what I'm particularly impressed with is the integration of the local labour force into the actual construction itself. The project is managed and being executed by China Harbour, but the arrangements that have been put in place to ensure that local workforce and local talent is integrated. I think those arrangements have to be commended. I saw young…

Keynote Address By The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP, DLP Prime Minister of Jamaica At Sandals All Mega Jamaica Showcase Event, Montego Bay On October 16, 2024 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Thank you very much. Thank you for that reassuring compliment that I'm still young.  Sometimes you need to be reminded of that. Let me acknowledge the fleet of dignitaries, as Adam described them, Our Deputy Prime Minister, The Ministers of Government who are here, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Our Ambassador from the United States And all our friends in the tourism industry who are here, the captains of industry who are here. As I look on the audience, let me tell you that you look good, impressive. But let me also acknowledge Ambassador Adam Stewart. For those of you who are religious or spiritual, you would agree that Butch is smiling. It is not that he's smiling that you are walking in his shoe, he's smiling because you are beating a new pathway. You are facing the challenges, and you are coming up with innovative solutions. I'm very happy that I had made a decision to invite you to become an ambassador, an investment ambassador for tourism and I…

Remarks By The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP, DLP Prime Minister of Jamaica At the  Shettlewood Pipeline Project On October 16, 2024 _______________________________________ Today we toured the Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project and now we are in the constituency of Southern St James looking at works for a major water project. I'm so happy for the people of Mount Carey, Anchovy,  Roehampton- I gather 12 communities will benefit. Now, in as much as I am happy for the more than 12 communities that will benefit from this 600 million dollar project, I am also very cognizant of the fact that there are many other communities, even in Southern St James that are without water.  I want to use this opportunity to say to those persons who are eagerly awaiting a project like this for their community so that they too can have potable water,  water to their home not just to their gate but in their bathrooms and in their kitchens inside their homes,  to say to you, don't lose faith. I know that there are many communities that have no water for the last 30, 40, 50 years. Even in this constituency in 2020, we turned on…

Today, as we commemorate another Heroes Day, we stand on the shoulders of giants—our national heroes—whose sacrifices have paved the way for the progress we now celebrate as a nation. We stand on their shoulders to see the vision for our country. And from the ruins of history, we will build a successful and prosperous country in fulfillment of the vision of our forefathers and our national heroes. Nanny fought for the freedom of the Maroons with strategic brilliance. Sam Sharpe, affectionately known as "Daddy Sharpe," led his people with intellect and compassion to stand up for their rights. George William Gordon advocated tirelessly for social and economic empowerment. Paul Bogle demanded dignity and a better life for all Jamaicans. Norman Manley laid the foundation for political independence. Sir Alexander Bustamante passionately championed the poor and working class and the economic development of the country. Marcus Mosiah Garvey inspired us to think and act positively, striving for economic independence and self-empowerment. Their legacies are a reminder of our responsibility to carry forward their mission. As we reflect on their legacy, let us consider the strides we have made as a nation.   Jamaica Today: A Country in Transformation This year, we are proud to highlight significant…

Statement to Parliament on the Status of the SPARK Road Rehabilitation Programme by Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, PC, MP, Prime Minister In the Houses of Parliament Duke Street Tuesday, October 8. 2024 at 2:00 pm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Madam Speaker, I rise today to update this Honourable House on the progress of the Government’s flagship infrastructure initiative, the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Project. Madam Speaker, this government understands how eagerly the people of Jamaica have been waiting for this initiative, as it marks the beginning of our efforts to address the deterioration of our road network, especially our community roads. This government understands that our roads are not just about vehicles—they are about our people. Roads that connect farmers to markets, students to schools, and patients to hospitals. The SPARK project represents one of the largest investments in Jamaica’s road and water infrastructure in recent history, and its successful execution is critical to our nation’s growth and development. By improving access to essential services, and boosting productivity, it will contribute to better economic and social outcomes and enhance the quality of life for our citizens. Madam Speaker, SPARK was first introduced in fiscal…

Keynote Address By The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP Prime Minister of Jamaica  At The Boundbrook Urban Centre Groundbreaking Ceremony On August 14, 2024 _________________________________________________ First, let me commend the performances. I've been to many events as you can imagine, and I've seen many school performances and oftentimes, quietly, I reserve my disappointment because the performances don't live up to what I expected.  It's not the student's fault, it's the cultural direction. It is the interpretation and the translation of our culture into action and sometimes it is without depth. Sometimes it is performed without any talented consideration, without passion, it's not uplifting but every performance that has graced this stage here today is a gold medal-winning performance; a true representation of our culture. And I am impressed and so I give my commendations to the performers but I also give commendations to the teachers and the cultural directors.  It is a reflection of  Portland's continued preservation of what is good about Jamaica. There is something special about Portland and it is not just the rarefied air, the proximity of your townships and residents to the sea, the beautiful, lush and verdant landscapes and hillsides; it is the…

Main Address By Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Growth and Job Creation At the Contract Signing and Groundbreaking, Spicy Grove, Oracabessa, St Mary On September 25, 2024 _______________________________________ As I drove into the community,  and I  observed the surroundings, and I  looked at the people,  you could sense that there was a little apprehension and I can tell why because this has been a long time in coming. Like many communities in Jamaica, Spicy Grove was not formally established.  There are 750  informal settlements in Jamaica, and 600,000 people live in them. That statistic may be a little bit dated because we are still awaiting the new census which will give us an update as to where we are but I think it gives us a fair representation of the extent of the challenge that exists for settlement in Jamaica. Now, your Member of Parliament gave the history as to how this settlement came about. Somebody had the land but they didn't establish their ownership and use, somebody else came, established ownership and use, acquired it through the adverse possession route of the law, other persons moved on, and of…

Statement  By Dr the Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, PC, MP, DLP At the  Plenary Session of the UN's Summit of the Future On September 22, 2024 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr President, Jamaica welcomes the convening of the Summit of the Future. We commend the Co-Facilitators of the Pact of the Future, the Declaration on Future Generations and the Global Digital Compact for their hard work. This Summit and the Pact, together embody renewed hope for advancing a common vision on leveraging multilateralism to create a dynamic framework within which our future generations will thrive. Jamaica is proud to have contributed to this historic process, particularly as Co-Facilitator for the Declaration on Future Generations. Mr President, The Pact aptly reaffirms the importance of achieving the SDGs.  The SDG Summit in 2023 exposed the lack of progress towards SDG implementation, including the reality that Small Island Developing States are particularly off track to meet them. With many still recovering from the pandemic, at the heart of this challenge, and one that must be addressed with urgency, is the glaring SDG financing gap amounting to USD2.5 to USD4 trillion dollars annually. As the Pact affirms, We must redouble our efforts to address global poverty,…