More Speeches

Fellow Jamaicans,On the eve of the Christmas Holiday, families and visitors alike are engaged in a variety of activities to enjoy what the country has to offer. It is a time when we all look forward to exchanging gifts, enjoying cultural presentations and visiting friends and family. As Minister of National Security I have had discussions with the Police High...

Jamaica, like the rest of the world faces an uphill battle against one of the most formidable enemies of mankind. This year the world has seen 5 million more infections pushing the number of persons living with HIV to over 40 million almost a 10% increase since 2003. Countries are forced to contend with declining life expectancy and increasing infant...

I greet you in the spirit of the millennium anthem One Love composed by the Jamaican Bob Marley. The Government of Jamaica is pleased to pledge its active support to these crucial Summit deliberations, aimed at generating greater economic, cultural and social benefits for our peoples, from the burgeoning global advances in Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs ). Our gathering...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is concerned at what appears to be the increasing number of Jamaicans who are being denied entry into Cayman even before the imposition of a visa regime on 1st November by that country. The Ministry notes that in some cases, Jamaicans, who have settled in Cayman have been denied re-entry. The Ministry...

Our populations are admittedly small - our domestic markets are fledgling. The Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) however represent two-fifths of the membership of the hemisphere. The Community has accorded great importance to the Summit of the Americas process since its inception in Miami in 1994 because of the promise it seemed to hold not only for hemispheric...

Mr. Speaker It will be recalled that last July in response to questions posed to me on the implications of the recent decisions by the WTO and the European Commission on our sugar industry, I indicated that the would be advised by the end of this month on the way forward for the Jamaican Sugar Industry. I intend in this...

It is a great honour for me to address this historic meeting of water specialists drawn from across the hemisphere and I must thank you for the invitation to deliver this address. This evening I want to speak on the global water and sanitation crisis; the challenges to ensuring reliable water availability and improved sanitation; the focus of the international...

Volatile market conditions for the demand and supply of petroleum products continue to impact Gulf Reference prices, resulting in increases in the prices of most petroleum products. However, because of the importance of kerosene as a domestic fuel for many Jamaicans, Minister of Commerce, Science & Technology, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, has directed Petrojam, Jamaica's energy company, to absorb the increase...

The Government of Jamaica has been advised that the European Commission (EC) has proposed a tariff of 187 Euros per tonne on third-country banana imports into the European market, with a zero-duty quota of 775,000 tonnes for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) exporters. There has been no indication how the 775,000-tonne quota will be apportioned among the ACP member states....

Mr. PresidentDistinguished Heads of State and GovernmentSecretary General Excellencies, The Group of 77 and China, on whose behalf I speak today, is most pleased to see you preside over this important meeting. We gather here to assess our efforts at providing the financing necessary for development of the developing countries in the context of our joint commitments made at the...

INTRODUCTION Express appreciation for the warm welcome and kind introduction. Let me begin by thanking President Lagos and the organizers of this event for affording me the unique opportunity to address such a distinguished audience, and to the Executive Secretary of ECLAC for hosting the encounter. This occasion bears particular significance, not only because it is my second visit to...

Members of Parliament Dr Paul Robertson, Fitz Jackson and the Portmore Municipal Mayor George Lee met with representatives of the Portmore Citizens' Advisory Committee (PCAC) yesterday evening regarding the issue of the Portmore leg of the Highway 2000 toll road. The meeting called by the MPs and the Mayor sought to invite the PCAC to join them in seeking to...