Gov’t Looks to Improve Business Processes Within Growth Ministry

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says he will be issuing a directive for an assessment of business procedures within the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and for the re-engineering of processes where necessary in order to enhance efficiencies.

Mr. Holness, who was addressing the opening of a two-day strategic planning retreat for directors and heads of agencies of the Ministry at Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston on August 3, said improving operations within the public sector is integral to achieving sustained levels of economic growth and reducing the debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio.

“That directive is going to flow down to you, the leaders… you are going to have to look at every single business process that you undertake. So that means (looking at) every bit of delegation, every bit of process that you do for decision-making, for applications (and) for approvals,” he said.

The Prime Minister advised the leaders to look at how best to utilise technology to make their agencies and departments more effective. “Good management builds in technology, innovation, risk-taking and reward,” he pointed out.

Mr. Holness said the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation was set up to drive the Government’s economic growth agenda, and to execute as well as monitor the effective execution of this policy.

He said that bureaucracy will have to be eliminated in order for the growth targets to be achieved.

The Prime Minister noted that the strategic retreat for the Ministry heads and directors “is geared at reorienting their mindset towards being focused on outcomes, rather than processes”, and looking at how best to improve synergies across the agencies and the central Ministry as well as reduce duplication.

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation has responsibility for more than 60 portfolio areas spanning environment, economics, investments, climate change, land management, logistics, planning, works, housing and water.

The retreat, being conducted under the theme ‘Charting the course towards sustainable growth and development’, will include brainstorming sessions to set high-level goals and objectives for the Ministry as well as the setting of strategic priorities going forward. Frameworks for new vision and mission statements and mandate are also to be developed.