Speeches by the Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, on rising I must give thanks to God for sparing us, individually, as a Parliament and as a Nation, that we can all gather here once again to deliberate on the people’s business and recommit ourselves as instruments of His will. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the people of Jamaica who exercised their civic duty and voted for a new government. The transition has been swift and virtually seamless. We can all be proud of our democratic institutions. I also want to thank the thousands of people from across the country who continue to hold up Jamaica, the government and its leaders, in prayers. I know something good is going to happen in Jamaica. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to address you as, “Mr. Speaker”.  Yours has been a rich, colourful and illustrious career in the public service. You have earned the respect, admiration - and most importantly, the trust of the people you serve and your colleagues with whom you serve, which is why the order and balance of the peoples’ Will in this House has been entrusted to you. Mr. Speaker, we occupy seats in this honourable Place because of the thousands of…

STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER ANDREW HOLNESS  ON THE ASSOCIATION OF CARIBBEAN STATES SUMMIT, 4 JUNE 2016   1.0 Purpose Parliament is being asked to note the following statement consequent upon the Prime Minister’s participation in the 7th Summit of the Association of Caribbean States, held in Havana, Cuba, on the 4th June, 2016. 2.0 Background The Association of Caribbean States was established on the 24th July 1994 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, with the aim of increasing cooperation among countries of the Greater Caribbean in four principal areas: The preservation and Conservation of the Caribbean Sea; Sustainable Tourism; Trade Development and Economic External Relations; and Transport and Disaster Risk Reduction.   Mr. Speaker, As you are aware, I led a delegation to Havana, Cuba on 4th June to participate in the 7th Summit of the Association of Caribbean States.  The Summit’s theme was "United under the ACS to face the challenges of sustainable development, climate change and peace in the Region."  I, therefore, wish to report to the House, on the outcome of the Summit and on the bilateral discussions held in the margins of the Meeting. At the outset, I wish to place on record, Jamaica’s appreciation to the…

Address by Prime Minister Andrew Holness Official Opening of ‘Empowerment Park’ Established by Juici Patties at Clarendon Park in celebration of the Company’s 35th anniversary July 10, 2016 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When the representative from the National Council on Drug Abuse came up and he was diverting into discussing marijuana, I was thinking is he going to suggest that Jukie Chin make marijuana patty. I am not recommending it Jukie and of course Mr. Rudyard Spencer another Member of Parliament in this parish, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests this is truly a lovely evening as we gather to celebrate the magnificent achievement of Jukie Chin and Edith Chin and their family. I am very impressed. I have always admired the growth of this business from afar and though you may not believe me, there is scarcely a time that I come to this side of Jamaica and I don’t stop to get my patties. You see my security details are shaking their heads because if the line is too long at the drive thru, they have to go and stand in line inside because no matter where you go, whether in Jamaica or the diaspora you can know a Jamaican when you…

Remarks by Prime Minister Andrew Holness Financial Closure and Handover of Kingston Container Terminal to Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited July 1, 2016 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Announcement I am pleased to advise that Financial Closure was attained yesterday, June 30, 2016 with respect to the Concession Agreement between the Port Authority of Jamaica (“PAJ” or “Port Authority”) and Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (“KFTL”). Furthermore, the upfront and other fees required under the Concession Agreement were yesterday paid over to the Port Authority, thus allowing for the transfer of the Kingston Container Terminal to the Concessionaire. Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited therefore assumed operations of the Kingston Container terminal at 12:00am today, July 1, 2016.   Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited is a local company established by Terminal Link, one of the top 10 Global Terminal Operators with over 30 terminals under management across the world, and CMA CGM its parent company, one of the top 3 shipping lines in the world.   The Concession is an Agreement between the Port Authority and Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited for the financing, development and expansion of the Kingston Container Terminal, Jamaica’s main transshipment port. The agreement gives KFTL a 30 year concession with the right to operate,…

ADDRESS BY THE MOST HONOURABLE ANDREW HOLNESS PRIME MINISTER LAUNCH OF CARICOM REVIEW COMMISSION Tuesday, June 28               Executive Lobby, OPM _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Members of the cabinet, the Honorable Bruce Golding- former Prime Minister, and chairman of the CARICOM Review commission, Excellences and members of the Diplomatic Corp, members of the commission, senior government officials, members of the private sector, representatives from CARICOM, and related institutions, representatives of academia, members of the media, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I decided to set up this commission because after 50 years of independence as a nation and after more than 30 years at attempting regional integration, I believe it is time that we take a second look at the institutions which framed architecture of the Jamaican state. It is pure coincidence that having established the commission, United Kingdom has gone and left the European Union. It has sparked a debate locally; one would even want to say a movement on the ground called JAEXIT, JA-XI. We cannot preempt what the commission will say but it was never the intention to lay any groundwork or chart any path out of CARICOM. This is about strengthening Jamaica’s position within the regional integration process which is…

Address by Prime Minister Andrew Holness GSAT Awards Ceremony for Children of Staff Members at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Office of the Cabinet Office August 24, 2016                OPM Lobby _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I’m always very pleased to attend these ceremonies to acknowledge the hard work of our students who have done well at the GSAT examinations but when I reflect on it, I can’t point out any other country that does this kind of celebration of their children transitioning from primary to secondary and I’ve looked at a few.   It shows the value that parents place on the success of their children moving from primary to secondary but it also shows that it is not a guarantee though by policy it is that every child is guarantee a place in secondary education but it is not a guarantee that every child will have a place of their choice in secondary education. So in effect we are celebrating our children getting a privilege.   The way in which our culture has evolved around education is that we have literally accepted that only the best and brightest should get this privilege and that I believe we should change.…

  Address by Prime Minister Andrew Holness Installation Ceremony of Dr. Patricia Marshall Dunwell as Custos Rotulorum for the parish of St. Andrew August 18, 2016, Hope Gardens _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Honourable Pearnel Charles The Honourable Mrs. Justice Zalia Mcalla, Chief Justice of Jamaica The Honourable Dr. Patricia Dunwell Custos of St. Andrew and Mr. Dunwell Members of the clergy Honourable Marlene Malahoo-Forte, Attorney General and Honorable Justice Forte Members of the Diplomatic Corp Brigadier Rocky Meade, Deputy Chief of Defense Staff Deputy Commissioner of Police Clifford Blake Councilor Andrew Swaby, Deputy Mayor representing Kingston and St. Andrew Honourable Custodes and spouses Justices of the Peace Family and friends of Custos Dunwell Members of the media Distinguished ladies and gentlemen all   Good Afternoon.   Custos Rotulorum is a Latin phrase for keeper of the roles. It is a civic post which is recognized in England where it originated and in Jamaica and traces back to fourteenth century England. The post is still very relevant today and plays a critical role in our development by assisting and maintaining law and order within our communities. The role was in fact enshrined in law in Jamaica in 2011 with the passing of the Custos…

Address by Prime Minister Andrew Holness Land Titling Ceremony Land Administration and Management Programme (LAMP) August 23, 2016, Lawns of Jamaica House _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Welcome to your house, your piece of land, Jamaica House. I’m very pleased to be attending this titling ceremony which is the first since this administration assumed office earlier this year and I look forward to attending many more.   Now I’m not just speaking today as Prime Minister, but I’ll have you know that I’m also the minister in charge of land.   The ceremony also has special significance coming right on the heels of our independence celebrations but more importantly our victory in Rio. Of course none of us were on the track but we claim it as our victory. It gives you a sense of empowerment doesn’t it, when you see how well a Jamaican son and daughter - sons and daughters perform - real sense of empowerment. And that empowerment comes through ownership because we own them. They are ours and it is that same kind of empowerment that we want to give to each and every Jamaican when you can say I own a piece of Jamaica.   So we are seeking…

Address by Prime Minister Andrew Holness Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Strategic Retreat August 3, 2016 Now I’m going to be addressing you on several issues - many topics. Feel free to say “me sir” and I will acknowledge you. It will be an interactive conversation. Don’t feel bad if it sounds like a lecture at times, but at the end of it I’m certain that we will have a better understanding of the mission and vision and you will also feel a part of that mission and vision so let’s get straight into it. There is a company whose market value is US $498.56 billion last year with $74.5 billion in earnings and it has 57,000 employees. Go on and write that down and then you’re going to tell me which company it is. There is another company, its earnings is $497 billion in market value. It earned $234 billion last year. It employs 110,000 employees. There’s another institution that earned $251.6 billion last year. It employed 141,000 persons. There is another company that earned $14.7 billion average last year and employed about a 135,000 persons. The first company- let me tell you- is Google. For the…