Prime Minister Outlines Vision for Jamaica

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has said that her vision for Jamaica was a country where there is universal literacy, with an education and training system that produces first class citizens, capable of competing within any sector of the world economy.
Delivering her maiden presentation as Prime Minister in the 2006/07 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, yesterday (May 9), Mrs. Simpson Miller said she was desirous of seeing a Jamaica, “where our people will all have access across the board, to first class health care, and to safe and reliable transport.a society of literate and healthy people that can move from place to place with ease”.
“I have a vision of Jamaica where our people have overcome the artificial and debilitating divisions, which have been erected to suit partisan and sectarian interests, not the interests of the people…it is time for us to break down those walls,” she emphasised.Speaking further, she said her vision “is about the community participation, where we create the space – the environment – where people see their involvement in national life as their right”.
Mrs. Simpson Miller said empowerment was a component of her vision, “where citizens take responsibility for the management of their economic, health, educational, cultural and recreational needs, supported and facilitated by the government”.
In respect of economic development, she said such development should make for the creation and retention of wealth to benefit all citizens and in turn, reduce and eliminate poverty.
“My vision, therefore, highlights the value and worth of all our people and I will place them at the centre of the development and prosperity of our nation,” the Prime Minister said.
Mrs. Simpson Miller said it must be acknowledged that far too many persons are left out of the process of how things are managed.
Indicating that people felt alienated and disconnected, she said that central to her vision, “is placing education as the corner stone on which everything else will revolve in providing a better quality of life”.
The Prime Minister stressed that to achieve these goals, “we must engage all the people so that they make their contribution”.