Gov’t Committed to Public-Private Partnerships – PM

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is committed to fostering increased public-private partnerships in order to grow the economy.

Mr. Holness, who was addressing the 2016 World Travel Awards’ post-award ceremony at the Melia Braco Village in Rio Bueno, Trelawny, on September 18, said policies have been put in place to reduce bureaucracy and improve the business climate in order to facilitate such partnerships.

He pointed out that the establishment of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation is making it easier for investors to access the necessary permits and approvals.

“Our job is to take away the frustration and to make the business environment and the manner in which we conduct business as friendly as possible to investors,” he noted.

Prime Minister Holness cited the Government-owned Melia Braco Village, which had been named the Caribbean’s Best New Hotel by World Travel Awards, as an example of effective public-private sector partnership.

“The best is yet to come,” he pointed out.

The Prime Minister said his Administration is very cognisant of the fact that investors have options as to where to take their money and that the onus is on Jamaica to demonstrate that it is indeed a good place to do business.

“I have long maintained that this will not be an overnight thing but that the road to growth and prosperity must be one that has sound policies and also must be sustainable,” he noted.

“All the signals we are seeing now would suggest that we are on the right path, and as a Government we are committed to do everything we can to put this country on a path of sustainable growth and on a footing where people can work and provide a good living for their families,” he said.