Jamaica Making Great Progress – Ambassador Marks

Jamaica is making great progress towards achieving its long-term national development goal, says Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks.

Delivering the keynote address at the sixth annual fundraising dinner of Maryland-based Partners of Good Shepherd Jamaica in Springfield on Saturday, May 5, the Ambassador pointed out that the aim is to put Jamaica in a position to achieve developed country status by the year 2030.

Ambassador Marks told the more than 300 patrons at the event that the plan is based on the comprehensive vision that Jamaica can be the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business.

The Ambassador praised Partners of Good Shepherd Jamaica, saying its activities will contribute to achieving the targets outlined in the country’s national development plan as regards poverty reduction, and access to education and healthcare in particular.

She told the gathering that Jamaica is making great strides on its macroeconomic agenda, to the extent that for the first time in over a decade, no new taxes were introduced this year.

The Ambassador noted that more Jamaicans are now employed than ever before in the history of the country, and that the Government has created over 60,000 new jobs in the past two years and has cut unemployment to 9.6 per cent. She also pointed out that the Jamaican dollar has stabilised.

She noted, however, that “despite the many good things that are happening in Jamaica, we are still struggling with crime, especially in the area of lottery scamming. As a result, the Government has taken drastic actions to tackle this monster”.