Transforming Agriculture Now Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to address this Honourable House this afternoon and to update you and the nation on my activities since the last Sectoral Debate. CONSTITUENCY Let me begin with my constituency. The constituency of N.W. St. Elizabeth is seeing its best days now. I have a meeting with my councillors, management team, supervisors...

Mr. Speaker, my task and my honour, today, is to close the Sectoral Debate for Fiscal Year 2018-2019. I think we will agree that the presentations and the discussions have been robust and that our democracy is alive and well. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Government, I wish to thank all our parliamentary colleagues for their contributions to this...

Mr. Speaker, Permit me to reiterate the scope, in terms of subject matters, and impact on the economy of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries. This Ministry covers the major areas of the goods-producing sector of the economy - agriculture, manufacturing and the distributive trade - contributing one third of the nation’s GDP and employing some 45 per...

The Jamaica Customs Agency takes note of the Sunday Observer article dated October 30, 2016 which raised concerns about the Customs Administrative Fee (CAF) and the Automated System for Customs Data, ASYCUDA World, which had incomplete and in some instances incorrect information. The article made note of the approved Cabinet Decision #29/13 which was implemented by the Agency. These included...

SECTORAL PRESENTATION By the Honourable Karl Samuda, CD, MP MINISTER OF INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2016 Theme: Growth Through Production SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE MINISTRY Mr. Speaker, let me begin by congratulating the Prime Minister for his extraordinary vision in combining the portfolios of Agriculture and Fisheries and Industry and Commerce. In doing this,...

Mr. Speaker, the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce is advanced in its preparation of the Special Economic Zone Policy Framework. Today, I will lay before this Honourable House the White Paper on Special Economic Zones.   1.      Background The Ministry developed a policy paper on the SEZ regimewhich was approved by Cabinet on January 5, 2015. The SEZ Policy...

Mr. Speaker, a good leader is a good listener. The people speak and you listen.You listen, you reflect and you respond. Sometimes that reflection requires a change but that is par for the course, adaptability is a law of life. After the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting and the ensuing media reports about my Ministry, I listened carefully. I heard...

Address by the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller Prime Minister of Jamaica Opening Ceremony of the Jamaica Investment Forum 2015 Wednesday, 11 March 2015 Montego Bay Convention Centre Montego Bay, Jamaica   Salutations The Honourable Anthony Hylton, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce; Other Ministers of Government Hon Dr. Wykeham McNeil Ministers of State Members of the Diplomatic Corps Heads...