Mr. Speaker, I have on several occasions provided an update to this Honourable House on the progress of the divestment of Government assets in the sugar industry. It will be recalled that the St. Thomas and Trelawny estates were divested last July to Golden Grove Sugar Company and Everglades Farms Limited respectively. In relation to Frome, Monymusk and Bernard Lodge,...

The Cabinet took the decision on Sunday to advise the Governor-General to issue a proclamation declaring a state of public emergency for the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew effective 6:00 p.m. that day. This decision was taken on the advice of the security forces that action had been taken and further action was likely to be taken to endanger...

Acknowledgements and ThanksMr. Speaker, it is indeed an honour to stand here this afternoon and give an account of my stewardship in this my third sectoral presentation as Minister of Water and Housing. I want to start by expressing my sincere gratitude to all those who have helped and supported me over the past year. I must first thank my...

I wish to address the House on two related matters that have generated much public discussion and controversy. The one has to do with the request by the US government for the extradition of Christopher Coke, the other with the engagement of the US law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. The Extradition Treaty between Jamaica and the US specifies...

OPENING REMARKS This government has, since 2007, embarked on a divestment project for Air Jamaica. Our goals were threefold: The first was influenced by our recognition of the critical role that Air Jamaica played in the Jamaican economy, particularly in respect of the country's tourism industry. This means that the first goal of the Air Jamaica Divestment Project was to...

The Prime Minister in his Budget presentation earlier this month spoke to the Government's concern about the escalating crime rate in the country. He indicated some of the measures being pursued to address the problem - strengthening the police force, fighting corruption, the use of technology, and strengthening the legal framework. Today, as Minister of National Security, I would like...

I. INTRODUCTION The title of this year's presentation "Building the Foundation for Jamaican Prosperity" was carefully and deliberately chosen to give the clearest indication of the Government's task at hand. A careful and dispassionate review of my presentation reveals the elements that are essential at this time and which constitute the building blocks of a foundation for Jamaican prosperity: Low...

Budget contextEvery government, in presenting its budget, desires to be able to do more and spend more. Budget debates traditionally provide the occasion for grand announcements of projects and programmes to address every possible need, satisfy every important segment of the population. For many people, that has come to be the standard by which a government is judged and a...

INTRODUCTION Mr. Speaker I address this Honourable House against the background of a global economic landscape which was characterized by the worst recession in recent times and the prospects of a recovery that at best leaves the world in a cloud of uncertainty. Indeed as we say in tourism 'the only certainty is uncertainty'. Mr. Speaker, it is fair to...

INTRODUCTIONMr. Speaker, the first quarter of this year has been a very busy period for the Ministry of Finance & the Public Service and all the economic agencies under its umbrella. We entered the year navigating uncharted waters as we set about completing negotiations with the IMF while at the same time designing a debt exchange programme that would not...

The 2010/11 session of Parliament got underway today (March 25), at Gordon House, highlighted by the delivery of the Throne Speech by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Dr. Patrick Allen. This year the large crowd of well-wishers who traditionally lined Duke Street to view the proceedings, and offer sporadic cheers, was not present due to the area being categorised...