Gov’t to Expand Work of National Partnership Council

The Government will, over the next week, provide details on how it will be expanding and enhancing the work of the National Partnership Council.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in an interview with the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) television programme, Issues & Answers on May 31, declared that the Council is important to the Jamaican society, indicating that the Government is committed to keeping it operational.

Members of the National Partnership Council are representatives of academia, civil society, private sector, labour, the Opposition and the Government.

In July 2013, the representatives signed the Partnership for Jamaica Agreement towards meeting targets in fiscal consolidation, rule of law, ease of doing business and employment, energy diversification and economic growth.

“The idea of a social partnership to change the value structure is something that we endorse and embrace. We are trying to infuse into the value system a move from a pessimistic view of the future to an optimistic view of the future, hence our thrust on prosperity,” Mr. Holness said.

He informed that Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Derrick Smith, has been assigned the responsibility for working on the reform of the Council.