Senator Robinson Continues Tour of North East USA Cities

Senator, Dr. Ronald Robinson, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, will pay a courtesy call on the President of Essex County College, Dr. A. Zachary Yamba, in Newark, New Jersey, on Wednesday(April 22).
Dr. Robinson will use the occasion to convey thanks and appreciation, on behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica and the Diaspora community, to Dr. Yamba, for providing a nurturing environment for Jamaicans studying at the college.
Last year, Dr. Yamba and faculty members staged an emotional homecoming for a dozen college alumni, who competed successfully at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, six of whom were Jamaicans.
Later Wednesday evening, Dr. Robinson will hear from Jamaican nationals in north New Jersey, at a town hall meeting at the East Orange Campus High School, 340 Prospect Street, East Orange,the third of four such meetings with the Diaspora community on his current trip.
Dr. Robinson wrapped up a busy second day on Saturday, with his second town hall meeting at the North Bronx SDA Church.
He told the audience that the Government is paying careful attention to a number of key sectors of the economy, in terms of budget allocations, including education, health care, agriculture and national security.
“We have decided that agriculture is the way to go. If you visit the supermarkets in Jamaica now, you will notice a spike in the production of yams, potatoes and other ground provisions, as more and more persons turn to farming and agriculture,” he said.
In a wide ranging presentation, Senator Robinson noted that: the current global financial and economic crises have forced the government to cut and carve the national budget; though murders remain at an unacceptable level, figures were trending down; the country is facing a major challenge in re-establishing the rule of law; and, easing of US travel restrictions to Cuba, could be a blessing in disguise for Jamaica’s tourism.
Senator, Dr. Robinson is on an official visit to the northeast USA to meet with Jamaican communities. He spent Sunday morning as guest of the Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations (UJAA) in New York.
On Friday, he will discuss potential trade and investment opportunities with members of the Philadelphia Trade Council during lunch and pay a courtesy call on Mayor Michael Nutter at City Hall, before engaging Philadelphia-based Jamaicans at a town hall forum at the University of Pennsylvania starting at 7:00 pm.