STATEMENT TO PARLIAMENT ON THE INCREASE IN THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE AND THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR INDUSTRIAL SECURITY GUARDS JANUARY 19, 2016 Mr. Speaker:  it is, indeed, a pleasure for me to be afforded this opportunity this afternoon to introduce in this honourable house the National Minimum Wage Order, 2016 and the Minimum Wage Industrial Security Guards Order, 2016.  ...

STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE LISA HANNA, MP MINISTER OF YOUTH AND CULTURE IN THE HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2015 Mr. Speaker, my statement today to the Parliament and the people of this country is arising from the report tabled by the Children's Advocate which was received in my Ministry on November 23, 2015. The report from the...

It is important to correct some inaccurate and misleading information that has been put into the public domain regarding national security and in particular, allegations of low morale in the Police Force as evidenced by the rate of attrition in 2015. The Ministry of National Security has consistently called for a national partnership in support of the Security Forces in...

Mr. President, The Government of Jamaica is seeking by these 3 bills the (Amendment) (CaribbeanCourtofJustice) Bill, the Constitution Judicature(Appellate Jurisdiction)(Amendment) Bill, and the CaribbeanCourtofJustice Bill, to establish the Caribbean Court of Justice as our final appellate court. This will be the government’s second attempt to do so, the first attempt being to do so by an ordinary parliamentary vote. Similar...

Presentation by the Hon. Minister of Justice in support of the three Bills entitled The Constitution (Amendment) (Caribbean Court of Justice) Act 2015, The Judicature (Appellate Jurisdiction)(Amendment) Act, 2015 and The Caribbean Court of Justice Act, 2015   Mr. President, I rise to open the debate on the three monumental Bills that are before us, which are respectively shortly entitled...

Modernizing Jamaica’s Correctional Services A Matter of Human Rights, International Reputation and National Security   Introduction The past week has been one of heated debate in the media, and social media, pertaining to the Non-Binding MOU between Jamaica and the United Kingdom for a critically needed, new Maximum Security Prison for the island, facilitated by a proposed Prisoner Transfer Agreement...

Statement to Parliament by the Prime Minister Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller ON, MP On the Performance of Jamaica’s Athletes at the 15th IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China Mr. Speaker, from August 22 to 30 the entire world was dazzled by the glorious display of athletic brilliance, talent and dominance of a team of amazing young men and women,...

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...