THEME: BUILDING FORWARD STRONGER: TOURISM 2021 AND BEYOND Introduction and Acknowledgements Madam Speaker, I am humbled to have been granted the privilege of serving the citizens of our beloved country for another year. I am heartened by the positive outpouring of support from members on both sides of this Honourable House, as together we work to move our people from...

"In my Closing Budget presentation on March 23, I announced additional support of $126 million for the vulnerable through the Constituency Development Fund (“CDF”) which would make available J$2 million for each Constituency. I also explained that, for technical and logistics reasons, this disbursement would occur in the new financial year that began on Holy Thursday (April 1). For accountability...

Madam Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to provide an update on Jamaica’s Vaccination Response. Worldwide, we see where over 128 million cases of COVID19 infection recorded worldwide, and 2.9 million deaths, vaccination as a response to containing the disease is critical to get our lives back to normal. Currently in Jamaica, Madam Speaker, we have recorded in excess...

Ananda Dean, 11 years old, student, abducted and killed in 2008. Khanice Jackson, 20 years old, accounting clerk of Portmore, St. Catherine, only daughter of her mother, body found in bushes in 2021. Jasmine Dean, visually impaired UWI student, missing since February 2020. Sharon Cole, 61 years old of McDonald District, Crooked River, murdered on February 15. Imani Green, 8...

Expression of Gratitude Madam Speaker, I rise this afternoon to close the budget debate on the Appropriation Bill for the 2021/22 fiscal year. This is the 59th budget debate in Jamaica’s independent history. Though it takes place in the almost impossible context of the worst economic crisis in our history and the worst health crisis in our country, it has...

Good evening. Based on the latest report from this morning, Jamaica recorded 673 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. Our cumulative cases of COVID-19 are now 35,338 with 16,130 of that number recovered. Our recovery rate is now 45.6%. The number of active cases, that is the number of persons who still have the virus, is 18,426.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Madam Speaker, Members of this Honourable House, Jamaicans and friends joining us locally and overseas, as I rise to address the Nation in these Budget Debates for a 6th time as Prime Minister, we give God thanks for sparing our lives through the unprecedented travails of 2020 to see this day. Madam Speaker, this is your second time occupying...