PIOJ Stages Consultation on Medium Term Economic Framework

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) will, on Friday, February 15, host several stakeholder partners at a workshop to review and finalize preparation of the Medium Term Socio-Economic Framework (MTF) for the 2012 to 2015 period.

The workshop, scheduled for the Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston, beginning at 8:30 a.m., is a continuation of the series of consultations by the Institute, to identify priority outcomes, strategies, programmes, and targets for national development over the ensuing three-year period.

This is in keeping with the provisions of the country’s long-term National Development Plan (NDP), Vision 2030 Jamaica.

Stakeholders expected to join PIOJ officials for discussions include: senior technical officers from ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs); senior officers from private sector organisations including the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ); civil society groups, including non government organisations (NGOs); trade unions; faith-based and community-based organisations; representatives of the Jamaican Diaspora and Returning Residents Foundations, and academia.

Consultations commenced with the Vision 2030 Jamaica Country Assessment and National Prioritization Workshop, which the PIOJ staged in collaboration with the Office of the Cabinet in April 2012.

Vision 2030 Jamaica Programme Director, Richard Lumsden, informsthat the initial workshop yielded broad stakeholder consensus on the main economic, social, governance and environmental issues, and the national priorities for the medium-term.

These include: national security and justice; accountability and human rights; education, training, youth development, early childhood development and parenting; unemployment, growth, and tax reform; natural environment, energy, waste management and land use planning; poverty and social protection; productivity and business environment; and science, technology and innovation.

MTF 2012-2015 is the second in the series of seven consecutive three-yearly MTFs for the implementation of Vision 2030 Jamaica, which seeks to position Jamaica to attain developed country status within the next 17 years, and in the process, make the country the place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business.