Speeches by the Prime Minister

  JAMAICA’S NATIONAL STATEMENT TO THE HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT OF THE TWENTY SECOND SESSION OF THE MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE 15TH NOVEMBER 2016   Salutations Mr. President, Please accept Jamaica’s heartiest congratulations and best wishes on your chairmanship of this Conference. I also express our sincere appreciation to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Morocco, for the excellent facilities and warm hospitality afforded us. As a small island state, Jamaica finds itself looking ahead each year with some trepidation, to the anticipated hurricane season.  We do so because, increasingly, these occurrences are more threatening and more damaging in impact.  Against this background, we are in deep sympathy with the governments and peoples of Haiti, Cuba, The Bahamas and the United States of America, for losses sustained as a result of the passage of Hurricane Matthew this year. These developments are potent evidence of the negative impacts of climate change.  Like other small island developing states, Jamaica is vulnerable to the effects of sea-level rise, severe weather events, changes in rainfall patterns and increases in temperatures. In addition to experiencing more intense tropical storms and hurricanes, our countries…

Address by The Most Honourable Andrew Holness Prime Minister Joint GOJ/IMF Press Conference October 13, 2016                    OPM Lobby ______________________________________________________________________________ Thank you very much Ambassador Clarke. I want to associate myself with the salutations you gave earlier and get straight down to business. I’m very pleased to announce that we have reached a staff level agreement on a new economic program with the IMF that would be supported by a three year IMF stand-by agreement with potential support equivalent to US1.7 billion dollars, which upon approval will replace the existing program. Given the Bank of Jamaica’s comfortable foreign reserves position the government has indicated Jamaica’s intention to treat the stand-by agreement as precautionary that is effectively an insurance policy against unforeseen economic shocks that are beyond the control of Jamaica. Let me emphasize that Jamaica by its policy credibility and discipline has reaped a 1.7billion dollars insurance dividend which gives confidence to any investor that Jamaica is serious about reform and will be able to withstand any exogenous shocks whether by way of natural disaster, commodity priced volatility or otherwise. The new proposed program and the large and important commitment of IMF resources that it entails is a firm vote of…

Address by The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, ON, MP Prime Minister of Jamaica at the Opening ceremony of 14th annual OOCUR @ 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 2016 Secrets Hotel and Spa Montego Bay “Regulation: Creating a Spectrum of Opportunities for the Caribbean” Salutations   The Most Reverend Kenneth D.O Richards – Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kingston Andrew Wheatley, Minister of Science, Energy, and Technology Hilary Alexander, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science, Energy, and Technology Other Permanent Secretaries present Albert Gordon, Chaman of OOCUR Joseph Matalon, Chairman of the Office of Utilities Regulation in Jamaica Distinguished Guest Speakers Heads of Government Department and Agencies Members of the Private Sector including utility companies Members of the media Ladies and gentlemen   Good morning!   It gives me great pleasure to speak with you at this the start of the 14th annual conference of the Organisation Of Caribbean Utility Regulators, OOCUR as we begin our conversations of how do we get the right mix to ensure all stakeholders are fully served.   I know that this conference is a signature event for regional regulators, the industry and service providers.  Let me welcome all participants from across the Caribbean region…

Address by The Most Honourable Andrew Holness 5th Annual Anti-Money Laundering/ Counter-Financing of Terrorism Conference October 10, 2016              Jamaica Pegasus Hotel We’re very grateful that we’ve been spared the hurricane. I had conversations with the President of Haiti and the devastation there is just simply phenomenal; it’s really sad that they have been hit twice but we should help and I’m in the company of bankers and so I make the appeal that we should help. I also spoke with the first vice president of Cuba and they too have been hard hit and again we should help. Cuba has been very good to Jamaica and so I think it is only appropriate that where we can, we should help.   I’m very pleased to be here with you this morning and I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Jamaica Bankers Association, The Jamaica Institute of Financial Services and all the speakers and moderators for their willingness to share knowledge and views on this important matter.   The theme of this conference underscores our continuing efforts and the critical unified approach that must be taken to tackle and mitigate the threats of money laundering and financing of terrorism.…

STATEMENT BY THE MOST HONOURABLE ANDREW HOLNESS, PRIME MINISTER OF JAMAICA DELIVERED AT THE 71st SESSION OF THE (UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY) 23RD SEPTEMBER 2016   Introduction & Context   Mr. President, I am honoured to join fellow leaders at this 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, which affords us an opportunity to undertake the most effective global response to the challenges for which the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was elaborated.   I congratulate you on your assumption of the Presidency of this session, and I am particularly pleased that the representative of a small, island-developing state  is presiding over our assembly. I am confident that our deliberations will translate into meaningful commitments and actions under your able leadership.   Let me thank the Secretary-General for his contribution to the work of the United Nations over the past 10 years. He is to be commended for his tireless efforts in guiding the Organisation, allowing it to remain at the forefront of international dialogue, consensus building and cooperation.   Mr. President, With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September last year, we as a global community have committed ourselves to securing the well being of…

      Speaking Notes by The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica at the International Conference on Sustainable Development,   Conference Theme: Moving Forward: The SDGs in Practice   Columbia University USA   21st September 2016     Salutations   Dr. Jeffrey Sachs,   Excellencies,   Ladies and gentlemen     In my first campaign I used the title of his book, the “End of Poverty” and in fact, a signature photograph featured a copy of me holding his book.   It is therefore a privilege to address this symposium being organised by Prof Sachs.     Reaffirmation of commitment to the SDG’s Jamaica is naturally and irrevocably aligned to the sustainable development goals and at every opportunity we reaffirm our commitment to achieving them. Furthermore Jamaica will play its part in regional and international fora to promote attainment.   The goals are self-reinforcing. Strategies to achieve one have the achievement of others as byproducts. Our focus is on economic growth and job creation the gains of which will be used to advance health, education and ending poverty.   Historical perspective After approximately 54 years of independence Jamaica has recorded impressive improvements in the human development index,…

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…