January 30, 2024 – Page 2 – Jamaica Year In Review

Celebrating Jamaica 61

Posted on January 30, 2024

• Jamaicans participated in daily and nightly activities from August 1-6, to mark the country’s 61st year of Independence under the theme: ‘Jamaica 61…Proud and Strong’.

Glittering drones lit up the skies during the Independence Day Grand Gala at the National Stadium.

• These activities included: the ‘Augus Mawning’ market, National Festival Queen Coronation, the popular ‘Mello-go-Roun’ showcase, ‘Reel and Come Again’ film night, Old Skool Party, and the Independence Day Grand Gala at the National Stadium.

National Labour Day Project

• The planting of 10,000 trees along Highway 2000 was the National Labour Day project under the theme – ‘Plant a Tree for Life: Promoting Climate Change Mitigation, Food Security and Road Safety’.

• Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness led the exercise, with the support of the Forestry Department and Jamaica Defence Force.

Live Reggae Events Return

• Live events marking Reggae Month during February were staged islandwide.

• These included tributes to Dennis Brown and Bob Marley on February 6, the weekly JARIA (Jamaica Reggae Industry Association) Wednesdays, the Children of the Icons, the Emerging Artistes and the Reggae University Series.

Insurance programme for creative practitioners

• The Ministry and the principals of Eckler Jamaica signed a contract to establish group health and life insurance schemes for entertainment, culture and creative industries practitioners in Jamaica.

• Jamaica nominated Port Royal to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Gender Affairs

• The Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA) staged ‘No Excuse for Abuse’ community chats and walk-throughs in several areas under the agency’s programme to end gender-based violence.

• A male Empowerment Unit, which will operate under the BGA, was opened.

• The Bureau hosted several International Men’s Day activities, focusing on health and well-being.

Another Historic Year For Sports

Posted on January 30, 2024

It was another record-breaking year for the country’s sports- men and women:

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Oliva Grange (right) and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, unveil the original FIFA Women’s Football World Cup Trophy, during a brief ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston. The ceremony formed part of the Jamaica leg of the global FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour in April.

• Jamaica became the first Caribbean country to qualify for the knock-out phase of the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup.

• They secured a 0-0 draw against Brazil during the 2023 edition, which was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, to finish second behind France in their group and advance to the Round of 16.

Support for the Reggae Girlz

• An additional $20 million was budgeted for the Reggae Girlz World Cup campaign, $10 million of which was paid directly to members of the squad under the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport’s Athlete Assistance Programme.

Sunshine Girls Shone

• The Sunshine Girls copped Gold at the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games netball final in July, defeating Trinidad and Tobago 50-36.

• The team secured the Bronze Medal at the Netball World Cup in South Africa, where Jamaica defeated New Zealand 52-45 in the third place playoff.

• More than $6 million in direct payments were made to team members and their coaches as a token of appreciation.

BIG UP to the Reggae Girlz and Sunshine Girls

• The Ministry published two magazines – one each paying tribute to the teams. The magazines were presented to the members and published on the Ministry’s website- www.mcges.gov.jm.

IAAF World Athletics Championships

• Shericka Jackson won the women’s 200 metres at the meet in Budapest, Hungary, setting a 21.41-seconds championship record.

• Danielle Williams won the 100 metres hurdles final in a season’s personal best 12.43 seconds.

• Antonio Watson copped the men’s 400 metres gold Medal in 44.22 seconds.

• Jamaica placed fourth on the medals table with three gold, five silver and four bronze.

Anti-Doping Forum

• Jamaica hosted a WADA Forum for Ministers of Sport in the Caribbean, which was attended by the Agency’s President, Witold Bańka.

• The country secured a seat on WADA’s Foundation Board, which is the organisation’s highest decision-making body.

Sports Model Study Tour

• Jamaica hosted delegations from Trinidad and Tobago and South Africa, which conducted study tours of the country’s sports programme.

Boost in Logistics Services

Posted on January 30, 2024

Jamaica’s first floating dry dock arrived in August.

• Jamaica welcomed its first Floating Dry Dock. The facility, named Jam-Dock 1, arrived in Kingston on August 24, marking a major step in positioning Jamaica as a global logistics hub.

• The dock, which is moored in the Kingston Harbour, will be used to repair mainly commercial vessels, including container ships, bulk carriers and tankers.

• The Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA) opened its first Business Accelerator Centre at Kingston Wharves Limited, which enables businesses within the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to have greater and expedited access to government business services.

Accreditation and Certification

• Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) has accredited three local laboratories and two inspection bodies to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and the ISO/IEC 17020:2012 international standards, respectively.

• The National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ) obtained accreditation to the ISO 22000:2018 standard to strengthen Food Safety Management Systems.

Standards

• The Bureau of Standards Jamaica published 43 standards, including 27 products and 16 services.

Authorisation and Licences

• The Hazardous Substances Regulatory Authority granted over 100 authorisations (licences, permits and registrations) to facilities using ionising radiation sources in service delivery.

• The Cannabis Licensing Authority issued approximately 160 multiple category licences.

Driving MSME Growth, Fostering Export

Posted on January 30, 2024

Government strengthened support to micro, small and medium-sized enter- prises (MSMEs) to drive business growth and enhance export.

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) team demonstrates the use of equipment during a tour the state-of-the-art Essential Oils Incubator in November.

• 16 technology firms benefited from access to capacity- building, mentorship, export markets and strategic networking opportunities under the Technology Innovation District (TID) Accelerator Project.

• Over 40 MSME operators were trained in the fundamentals of public procurement, equipping them to effectively participate in public procurement tenders, a crucial aspect of business growth and expansion.

• Export assistance was provided to 50 companies enrolled in JAMPRO’s Cohort 3 of Export Max.

• The Jamaica Business Gateway online platform was launched by JAMPRO to facilitate business-to-government transactions, fostering efficiency and transparency regarding investment and business procedures.

• A US$72,000 project was undertaken to strengthen cultural and creative industries.

Trade Missions

• 80 private sector companies benefitted from ministerial trade missions to Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Miami, Atlanta, Toronto, New York, Washington, New York, and London.

MSME Business Roadshows

• The MSME Business Roadshow was launched, offering over 1,000 businesses access to services provided by 20 State agencies and sponsors.

• 12 entities were granted $300,000 each to support the growth of their businesses, and over 155 MSMEs had the opportunity to exhibit their products and services.

Loan Products

• The Export-Import Bank of Jamaica launched its EX-IM Solar Energy Loan Product, to finance the acquisition and installation of solar equipment, offering borrowers a medium-term, non-revolving, secured pro-duct for a tenure up to seven years, at a 7.5 per cent interest rate.

• The EX-IM Bank on-lent $1.95 billion to support MSMEs faced with financial difficulties.

Promoting Consumer Rights

• The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) handled 895 complaints and achieved a 64.13% resolution rate, with over $22 million secured in refunds and compensation.

• 44,525 individuals were reached through 256 outreach activities, providing consumer advice and information.

• The CAC conducted 21 comprehensive price surveys covering various sectors such as groceries, agriculture, petroleum products, hardware items, and school textbooks. The findings which were published in news outlets and on the CAC’s website, helped consumers to make wise spending choices.

Progress in Education Transformation

Posted on January 30, 2024

The Government made good progress in the transformation of the education sector in keeping with the recommendations in the 2022 Jamaica Education Transformation Commission (JETC) report.

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams (2nd right), admires the graphic designs inside the smart room at the Homestead Primary and Infant School in St. Catherine, at the official opening of the facility on December 6. Others (from left) are Social Development Consultant with the Digicel Foundation, Miguel Williams; Principal of the school, Sophia Deer; and Regional Director at the Ministry, Sophia Forbes Hall.

• $4.6 billion in funding was committed by Cabinet for the transformation effort.

• Significant steps were made in finalising the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) Bill, which seeks to establish a governing body for the teaching profession, and a licensing and registration regime for all government-paid teachers.

• Progress made in improving the accounting system across all schools, which will improve governance and accountability with regard to financial management.

• Rollout of the Education Management Information System (EMIS) commenced, which will improve the tracking and monitoring of key performance indicators within the sector.

• The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) expansion plan was advanced and advances made in eliminating the shift system in schools.

• A campaign, dubbed Transforming Education for National Development (TREND) was launched to promote the efforts to modernise and improve the education landscape.

Curriculum Support and Development

• 43 mathematics coaches and 11 specialists were deployed to 151 schools.

• 27 intervention workshops were conducted at the primary and secondary levels under the Alternative Pathways to Secondary Edu-cation.

• 48 training sessions were held to support the Pathways’ curriculum implementation in specific academic subjects.

• 21,701 students were enrolled in the Sixth-Form Pathways Programme for the 2023/24 academic year.

• 110 schools provided with literacy support in the form of 130 coaching sessions, instructional leadership support to 418 school principals, and resource allocations to 422 schools. In total, 4,672 teachers and school leaders, along with 746 students were impacted.

• $395 million was added to the recurrent expenditure of Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) to support the institution’s expansion plans.

Technology in Education

• Microsoft 365 suite of programmes for teachers and students launched.

• 1,238 recorded lessons made available for instruction from the early childhood to tertiary levels.

• eBooks and additional resources distributed to secondary schools.

• Schools were equipped with software support in the form of the Aural, Read, Respond, Oral, Write (ARROW) programme.

• Implementation of 1962 STEM/ STEAM Pilot in partnership with 21st Century Education in 42 schools and six teacher-training institutions.

• The Education Management Information System (EMIS) was fully implemented to allow schools to manage administrative processes.

• 464 schools were provided with broadband connectivity.

School Plants Upgraded

Posted on January 30, 2024

School Upgrades and Repairs

Fourth and fifth form students of Holy Trinity High School in Kingston engaged in a class work using the new laptops provided by the Government.

• $440 million was allocated to fund critical repairs and maintenance activities in 125 schools across the seven regions.

• Eleven schools received $3 million each to repair school furniture.

• A new classroom block valued at $87.17 million was built to house the Special Education Unit at Albion Primary School in Knockpatrick, Manchester.

• Ground was broken for a $253 million 11-classroom block at Bridgeport High School in Portmore.

• A $46.2-million classroom block was built at Savanna-la-Mar Infant School in Westmoreland.

• A $43-million facility for children with special needs was opened at the former Santa Cruz Basic School in St. Elizabeth.

• Also in St. Elizabeth, a new classroom block valued at $235 million opened at the Black River High School.

• A retrofitted inclusive classroom for special needs students was established at Bethabara Infant School in Manchester.

• Ground was broken for new classrooms and amenities at the Exchange All-Age School in St. Ann at a cost of $185 million.

• A new classroom block was constructed at the Grange Hill Primary school in Westmoreland, valued $111.1 million.

Tuition Support and Textbooks

• $40 million for tuition payments, educational grants and school supplies for children in State care.

• $299,999 in financial grant support for tertiary-level students facing challenges in financing their tuition.

• $2 billion allocated to purchase textbooks for students at the primary and secondary levels.

School Feeding

• More than 150,000 students benefited from the Traditional Cooked Lunch component of the School Feeding Programme.

• 21 schools were engaged in the School Gardens project at a cost of $10 million, with an additional $70 million allocated to schools at the infant and primary level for maintenance of canteen facilities.

Special Education

• 530 students were placed in appropriate learning environments.

• 275 shadows were assigned to provide specialised support to students, in addition to the 213 newly trained shadows.

Civics in Schools

• 584 schools offered Civics with a fully developed curriculum.

Improved Service Delivery and Benefits

Posted on January 30, 2024

Work continued to further enhance and consolidate public-sector efficiency, customer-service excellence and benefits to government officers.

Service Excellence

• Implementation ‘Driven by Service Excellence’ Programme at Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.

HRM Transformation

• 14 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) went live on MyHR+, bringing the number using the integrated human resource and payroll platform to 70.

ICT

• The Government Network (GovNet) was rolled out in the Kingston Metropolitan Area with approximately 230 subscribers.

• ICT Expansion Project successfully implemented at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA).

• Customer Relationship Management System Implemented at the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).

• The National Fisheries Licensing and Registration System has been developed and is being tested.

• A Modern Data Centre is now up and running following the procurement and commissioning of upgraded ICT equipment valued nearly $500 million.

Change Management

• 343 Public-Sector employees were trained in the Government of Jamaica eight-step Change Methodology. Another 34 were trained as Change Management Trainers.

• Change Agent Networks were established in nine MDAs to support Public Sector Transformation.

Compensation Management

• A Job Evaluation Factor Plan was developed to evaluate jobs across the Public Sector.

• A new 16-band compensation structure was implemented as part of the compensation restructuring exercise.

Paternity Leave

• Paternity leave with pay for fathers of newborns and leave for parents adopting and bringing a new child into the home, were effected.

Public Sector Debate

• The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service won the 2023 renewal, defeating the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) in the final.

Strong Economic Resurgence Continues

Posted on January 30, 2024

Jamaica’s strong post-COVID-19 economic resurgence continued with significant out-turns:

A customer conducting a transaction using the new Polymer Bank Notes. The series was officially released into circulation in June. The suite comprises the upgraded $50, $100, $500, $1,000, and $5,000 notes, and the newly introduced $2,000 bill.

• 4.2 per cent growth bet-ween January and March and 2.3 per cent for April to June.

• Estimated 2.9 per cent growth between January and June.

• 4.5 per cent record low unemployment rate.

• Decrease in the number of unemployed persons by 27,500 or 30.7 percentage points to 62,200 in July.

• Reduction in youth (14-24) unemployment by 9,000, or 26 per cent, to 25,600.

• Increase in the number of employed persons by 47,000 to 1,315,100.

• Increase in the labour force complement by 19,600 or 1.4 per cent to 1,377,300.

• 30.6 per cent increase in export earnings between January and July, totalling just over US$1.22 billion.

• Decline in inflation for October to 5.1 per cent, which placed the rate within the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) 4-6 per cent target range.

• Net International Reserves (NIR) totalling approximately US$4.61 billion.

Global Credit Rating

• Moody’s Investor Service revised its economic outlook for Jamaica from ‘Stable’ to ‘Positive’, while Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings maintained a ‘Stable’ rating.

Bilateral/Multilateral Funding Support

• Approximately US$1.7 billion approved for Jamaica under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Precautionary and Liquidity Line (PLL) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).

Local Funding Support

• The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) allocated $100 million for first-year implementation of the Growth and Expansion of MSMEs through Innovation and Capacity-building Grant Pilot Programme.

Budget

• Jamaica’s first trillion-dollar Budget was tabled in February.

Gov’t Enhancing Quality of Health Care

Posted on January 30, 2024

The Government continued to deliver on its commitment to provide quality health care for Jamaicans, with billions expended to increase access to medications, improve health facilities, acquire much- needed equipment, combat non-communicable diseases among other initiatives.

Two ambulances and a panel van, acquired at a cost of more than $33 million, were handed over to the Northeast Regional Health Authority (NERHA) to serve the parishes of St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland.

Increase In Drug Subsidy

•The subsidy for drugs was expanded for the over 350,000 active beneficiaries of the National Health Fund (NHF) Card, and the more than 21,000 beneficiaries of the Jamaica Drug for the Elderly Programme (JADEP).

•The NHF instituted the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test benefit to encourage more men to get tested, with provision of a $1,600 subsidy for one PSA test per year.

•61 contracts, valued at $27 billion, were signed for the procurement of essential drugs under the 2023-2026 Pharmaceutical Awards Programme.

•Five new health conditions were added to its NHF Card Programme, representing an estimated $450 million in additional subsidy and will see some 47,000 Jamaicans benefitting. Acquisition of Equipment, Vehicles

•A mammogram machine was installed at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) Mona at a cost of $47 million.

•The renal unit of the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) got 10 new hemodialysis machines, valued at over $30 million from the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund.

•$500 million was allocated to each of the four Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) for infrastructure improvement and equipment replacement.

•18 patient monitors valued at $25 million to the UHWI by CHASE and Masonic Homes Limited.

•Bustamante Hospital for Children got new C-Arm and laparoscopy machines don- ated by the CHASE Fund at a cost of $46 million.

•Two ambulances and a panel van were acquired at a cost of more than $33 million to serve the parishes of St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland.

•The Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) received four retrofitted ambulances, a passenger bus, and a panel van, at a total cost of $62 million.

•The Linstead Public Hospital in St. Catherine and Princess Margaret Hospital in St. Thomas got two new ambulances valued at approximately $33 million.

Dengue Fight

•The vector control programme was enhanced, with additional funding of $200 million to support drain-cleaning and other activities.

•Approximately 500 temporary vector control workers were engaged, and approximately 60 vehicles provided to facilitate intensified activities. New Limb, New Life.

•A sum of $50 million was made available under the ‘A Prosthetic Partnership Programme to provide qualified persons with properly fitted prostheses, enabling them to return to normal life.

Upgrading of Health Facilities

Posted on January 30, 2024

Minister Tufton demonstrates his physical fitness during a Caribbean Wellness Day event on Friday, September 8, at the VMBS grounds on Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston.

•The Moneague Health Centre in St. Ann was refurbished at a cost of $26 million to benefit 32,000 patients.

•Ground was broken for the construction of a new administrative building for the St. Ann Health Department at a cost of some $400 million.

•The Mandeville Comprehensive Health Centre in Manchester was upgraded to offer improved services and retrofitted with additional safety features to be more resilient to natural disasters. Work was done under the US$6.5-million Caribbean-wide Smart Health Project.

•The Cambridge Health Centre was renovated by the NHF at a cost of more than $60 million. It will benefit some 4,000 residents of Cambridge and its environs.

•A new $29 million energy-efficient boiler system was installed at the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland.

•A US$5-million contract was signed for the implementation of an Electronic Health Records (EHR) System in the public health sector.

•The St. Elizabeth-based Black River Hospital was equipped with a $37 million digital retrofit system. Tackling NCDs

•Thousands of persons across the island benefitted from free health checks under the ‘Know Your Numbers’ campaign.

•A ‘Weekend of Wellness (WOW) was staged involving free health checks, invigorating workout sessions and nutritious food

•The Nutrition Facts Panel Media Campaign was launched to help consumers make healthier food choices.

•A Physical Activity and Pregnancy Guide was produced to reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes, pree-clampsia, postpartum depression and Caesarean delivery.

Promoting Mental Wellness

•Problem Management Plus (PM+) was launched, which trains community leaders to provide mental health support to persons at the community level. The intervention was developed to assist people with mild depression, anxiety, and stress.

•A series of school wellness check-ins were conducted at high schools across the island. The sessions included stress-management technique displays, exercise sessions aimed at promoting mental wellness and strategies to reduce stigma.