Mr. President, I thank you and members for this opportunity  to address this Honourable Senate in a State of the Nation address. I was moved last week by the sentiments expressed in this Senate of the desire to be bi-partisan in many of the fundamental issues that we are required to unite around to get Jamaica out of its myriad...

STATEMENT TO PARLIAMENT BY THE MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ENTERTAINMENT, THE HON. WYKEHAM McNEILL, MEASURES TO REGULARIZE PERSONAL WATER CRAFTS (PWC) OPERATIONS   Background The Honourable House will recall that following two accidents involving Personal Water Crafts (PWCs) on August 17th and 21st, 2013, where one child died and another person was severely injured, in Ocho Rios and Negril, respectively,...

I welcome you most warmly to this sixteenth staging of Jamaica’s Diplomatic Week.  I am delighted that we are joined by an unprecedentedly high number of non-resident Heads of Mission. I extend a special welcome to the newly appointed resident and non-resident High Commissioners and Ambassadors who have joined us since we last met, including those who, just yesterday, presented...

Statement on meeting with: Representatives of the Rsatafari Millennium Council, the Leonard P Howell Foundation, Rastafari Youth Initiative, the Rastafari Order of Nyahbinghi, Developers – St. Jago Hill’s Limited, St Jago Hills Citizen Association, a Committee Established by the Office of the Prime Minister to discuss issues of concern to Rastafari, the Ministry of Youth & Culture and its agency...

It is an honour for me to address the Second Summit of Heads of Government and State of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Let me express my profound appreciation to you, President Castro and to the Government and people of Cuba for the warm hospitality extended to my delegation since our arrival in this beautiful and...

INTRODUCTION The House is reminded that late in December 2013 the Government of Jamaica laid in this Honourable House the Fiscal Policy Paper - Interim Report and an adjusted Letter of Intent and Memorandum of Economic     and Financial Polices (MEFP). I wish to make some comments on both documents, and I will also use this opportunity to provide an update...

The 2013 calendar year ended with 1197 murders versus 1099 recorded for 2012 or a disappointing increase of 9%. For the first half of 2013, the figures were continuing the downward trend experienced since May 2010. However, in the third quarter, the number of murders spiked to almost four per day.  This increase was attributed to a number of factors...