Speeches by the Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I use this opportunity to inform this Honourable House of the Government’s plan for another round of the Disaster Mitigation Works. The works have been programmed into the government’s overall mitigation plans, which we have rolled out in three tranches. We have completed two phases of mitigation and three phases of patching so far this year, valued at over $800 million. Mr. Speaker, this round, however, is crucial given the levels of rainfall that all parishes have experienced with some areas being significantly affected by flooding. We had the unfortunate situation in Clarendon for example, where a young boy lost his life due to flooding in the town of May Pen. We intend to use this round of our mitigation programme to target some of these areas that we as representatives of the people know are problematic. Mr. Speaker, this programme will be implemented by the National Works Agency (NWA) and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). We have decided to have this programme jointly undertaken by these two agencies as their work complements each other. We know that there is a serious cultural problem as to how we dispose of our garbage. We see it almost…

The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, MP Prime Minister of Jamaica  Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Conference of Executive Management and Heads of Mission   Tuesday, October 9, 2018 Jamaica Pegasus Hotel   Salutations: Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator the Honourable Pearnel Charles, Jnr, Minister of State Ambassador Marcia Gilbert-Roberts, Permanent Secretary Heads of Diplomatic Mission and Consular Post Under-Secretaries Directors and Staff of the Foreign Ministry Members of the Media   Good morning.  First, let me apologize for my raspy voice. I had to attend a water conference yesterday and I got wet. It is indeed a pleasure for me to join you today to start your Conference and I thank you, Minister, for your warm words of welcome. I wasn’t able to join you yesterday because I had to attend this Water Conference which was in Montego Bay which I got wet  but I managed to get back very late last night because I thought I was absolutely important that I get a chance to eyeball the people who are representing Jamaica overseas and more than that foreign policy is a very important tool of this administration.…

The Most Honourable Andrew Holness ON, MP Prime Minister at the Caribbean Water & Waste Water Association Conference On October 8, 2018   Thank you very much madam master of ceremonies Marline Stephenson Let me apologize for my voice, I got wet. Yes, we're at a water conference so you understand. Mr Alphonsus Daniel, President of the Caribbean Water and Waste Water Association The Honourable Karl Samuda, Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with oversight responsibility for water Visiting ministers of government Members of the Diplomatic Corps International organizations and the Consular Corps Senator Aubyn Hill, Chairman of the National Water Commission Members of Parliament Bishop the Honourable Conrad Pitkin, Custos of the parish of St James His Worship the Mayor Councillor Homer Davies, Mayor of Montego Bay And other mayors who are here Mr Mark Barnett, President of the NWC Mr Vincent Sweeney, Head of the United Nations Environment Program Mr Timothee Delebarre, of Vinci Construction Group Jamaica Mr Frank Gutzeit, of Diehl Metering Mrs Doreen Prendergast, Co-Chair of the CWWA2018 Local Organizing Committee Members of staff of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Delegations to and partners of the Caribbean Water and…

Presentation by the Hon. Daryl Vaz, MP  on the Government’s measures to regulate specific categories of plastic packaging materials at a Press Conference, Monday, September 17, 2018 in the Banquet Hall at 9 am   It is now universally accepted that Small Island Developing States (SIDS), such as Jamaica, are particularly vulnerable to global environmental challenges, including climate change and marine litter. Our vulnerability to marine plastic litter is even greater given the magnitude of the problem which can have significant negative impacts on economic sectors such as tourism and fisheries which are critical to our economic growth and development. Additionally, improperly disposed of plastics end up in our drains, gullies and waterways after heavy rains, which contribute to flooding and ultimately damage to life and property. Indeed, plastic pollution is one of the biggest threats to the fragile ecosystems of island states.  There are well known cases of plastics being ingested by sea mammals such as whales and turtles as well as sea birds and other sea life leading to fatalities. Scientists have proven that some ten per cent (10%) of the plastic manufactured worldwide end up in our oceans. The majority of the plastics settle on the ocean…

Thank you very much. It was just the other day that I did my Common Entrance. Firstly , let me congratulate you on your performance on the last sitting of GSAT and you will have the distinction to be the last generation of Jamaicans to sit that notorious examination and I’m seeing the broad smiles on the parents faces that you will no longer have to go through the very involved process which is GSAT because I gather that the parents say that it's as if they are the ones sitting the exams; a very difficult period time but there is some good news. I gather though that there are some people who don't think it is good news that the GSAT examinations will end and they will be replaced by a new examination called the PEP. It is the Primary Exit Profile, (PEP), sounds good. Now, there is a reason why we have to transition from GSAT to a new method of examination. When we did not have universal secondary education meaning that students who went through the primary system had to have some means of filtering them and placing them into the limited high school places then based…

It was very heart-warming to enter the plant this morning and see the many Jamaicans coming to work. These kinds of infrastructure projects, though they use quite a bit of foreign exchange, they generate significant employment and just interacting with the labour force on the site here, tells me that the management of the construction here at JPS have taken all the necessary measures to ensure that there is industrial harmony on the site and that there is some amount of human resource development taking place and you can see it in how the workers are very much involved and very excited about this plant. I gather that 75% of the labour force here is Jamaican but it also speaks to the harmonious working relationship with foreigners who are also working at the plant and just in general a very good industrial relations environment. It shows that we can bring in overseas investors/ foreign investors working together with local labour, local know-how, local capital and achieve major things for our economy. This is a major achievement for Jamaica, not just the replacement of the pool plant which was very inefficient to a newer generating facility which is almost twice as…

The president of the Inter- American Development Bank Group and Therese Turner-Jones my other good friend, the General Manager for the Caribbean Country Department of the IDB Dr The Honourable Ambassador Nigel Clarke, MP, Minister of Finance and the Public Service and also my good friend My other good friend The Right Reverend Howard Gregory who I know prays for me every morning without fear. Your prayers are working Bishop, please continue to pray fervently. Our financial secretary, Darlene Morrison and other officials of the Ministry of Finance The Governor of the Bank of Jamaica, I’m acknowledging him in his absence Dr Wayne Henry, Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica, acknowledging him in his absence as well Officials and staff of the Inter- American Development Bank Members of the media Ladies and gentlemen, this is truly a good morning and let me be the first to welcome you to the neighbourhood. You may pop in up the road for tea anytime. I'm delighted to be here this morning to welcome the IDB to its new home which is very close to a special place. Congratulations on the construction and today's opening of your new office building. The attention…

My Jamaican family! Today our great nation celebrates 56th years of political independence. It is indeed a time to celebrate all that we have achieved with our freedom and independence: We boast a stable democracy with over 74 years of elections and undisrupted change of administrations. We rank 6th in the World for Freedom of the Press and Jamaicans generally enjoy great freedom, scoring 77 out of 100 in the Freedom in the world 2018 report. We are ranked 47th of 113 countries assessed in the Rule of Law index, We are ranked highly in sports, music and the creative arts, Jamaica is an amplified voice in the international arena, and Brand Jamaica continues to be one of the most recognizable brands globally. However, as we celebrate, we must also cerebrate. Take time to think of the challenges facing us as a Nation, some caused by our action or inaction. It must concern to us all, that for a country often romanticized as a “no problem” paradise, violence is becoming part of the narrative surrounding our brand and image. Our independence theme “One Love…One Family” aligns with the country’s motto “Out of Many, One People”, and captures our friendly, kind,…

My fellow Jamaicans, Each year, the Emancipation celebrations give us an opportunity to reflect on the struggle of our ancestors for freedom, against a system that denied them their dignity and humanity, often through brutally oppressive and violent means. It must have been a euphoric day, today the first of August, 180 years ago, when our forebears gathered in their villages, and churches to rejoice and give thanks. Free! free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty we are free at last! I can only imagine the tears of joy that would have rolled down the cheeks of our oppressed forefathers, replacing the tears that came from the whip on their backs. They must have celebrated this day as the beginning of a new life for them and for us, their generations to come. It must have been a time of great hope and optimism. A wide embrace of freedom and a determined rejection of the system of violence used to oppress to them. Freedom was a gradual process of securing rights. On that faithful Friday morning, the first day in August 1838, our forebears assumed the full right to work for their own account and enjoy the benefits…