Transformation Progresses at Ministry of Labour and Social Security
By: , August 9, 2023
Photo: Michael Sloley
Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, addressing the Intellectual Property (IP) Power Brunch at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston on Wednesday, April 26.The Full Story
State Minister in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, says the Ministry is now in a process of transformation, in line with its continued mandate to provide programmes that meet the needs of Jamaicans.
“The Ministry is in a transformational period right now where we are looking at all the systems as they relate to benefits and programmes and how we can transform those to become more fit for purpose,” he said.
The State Minister was speaking on the Nationwide News Network (NNN) radio programme ‘Ask the Minister’, on August 8.
Significant programmes and areas of the Ministry include the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), Early Stimulation Programme (ESP), National Insurance Fund (NIF), Jamaica Productivity Centre, and the Work Permit Division.
Dr. Dunn pointed out that the transformation is part of the Government’s mandate to improve the national social programme and is intended to tailor initiatives to fit the needs of citizens in the current environment.
“The Prime Minister has said [repeatedly] that we have to be a Government that is accountable to the people and responsive to the needs of the people,” he said.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is mandated to promote a stable industrial climate through tripartite dialogue; ensure the highest standards of occupational safety and health at the workplace; facilitate increased access to employment and effectively manage social protection programmes, including those for groups with special needs, such as households below the poverty line, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.