PM Calls for Greater International · the wider CARICOM region, transnational organised crime...
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P RIME MINISTER the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller says Jamaica and other Carib- bean countries need greater international support to fight trnasnational crimes particularly gun-related murders. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council in New York on July 30, Mrs. Simpson Miller said small countries such as Jam- aica require comprehensive debt relief and tangible development financing to increase their capacity to invest a greater share of their national budgets into effective crime fighting, border control and other domestic, regional and global peace and security initiatives. The Prime Minister also noted that in Jamaica and the wider CARICOM region, transnational organised crime represents the gravest threat to peace and security. “Extensive, open coast- lines facilitate various forms of illicit trafficking in drugs, arms, ammunition and people, particularly our women and children,” the Prime Minister said. Recognising the effect of the current peace and security threats to undermining law and order, and impeding eco- nomic growth and social devel- opment, Mrs. Simpson Miller stated that Jamaica and other CARICOM countries have given priority attention to safety and security within their national development plans. “I can assure you that we take these threats to our security very seriously. We have targeted our efforts at degrading the capabilities of organised criminal gangs and directed resources at addressing the shameful crime of human trafficking. We have also invested hea- vily in technology, equipment and training for our security forces, within the constraints of our limited resources,” the Prime Minister stated. PM Calls for Greater International Support to Fight Crime EPOC Co-Chair Supports Pay Down of PetroCaribe Debt Prime Minister the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller (forefront) at the UN Headquarters in New York on July 30. In the background (from left) are Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. AJ Nicholson, QC; and Jamaica's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Courtenay Rattray. CO-CHAIRMAN OF the Economic Programme Oversight Committee, Richard Byles, is fully supporting the successful move by the Government in raising US$2 billion on the international capi- tal market, which will be used to pay down the country’s PetroCaribe debt with Venezuela. The money was raised through two bond issues. Addressing the launch of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s ‘MoBay Expo’ at the Wexford Hotel on July 29, Mr. Byles said the move will enable the Government to make a major reduction in the country’s debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “What that will do is reduce our debt to GDP very considerably, by as much as 10 per cent or even a little bit more. So, we are going to drop from say 137 per cent debt to GDP, which is ridiculous, to about 126 per cent and that will put us very firmly on the road to achieve less than a 100 per cent debt to GDP by 2020,” Mr. Byles said. This, he underscored, would be a major achieve- ment in the Economic Reform Programme being pursued by the Gov- ernment. Co-Chairman of the Gov- ernment’s Economic Pro- gramme Oversight Com- mittee (EPOC), Richard Byles PRIME MINISTER the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller says care- ful consideration should be given to the debt relief strategy proposed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) including Jamaica. The proposal is for 100 per cent debt write- off over time, and would involve cooperation of multilateral institutions, donor countries and small state debtor countries. “Comprehensive debt relief for Caribbean Small Island Developing States that would gradually write off 100 per cent of their multilateral debt stock is timely. In our view, this proposal is worthy of seri- ous consideration and support from the interna- tional community,” Mrs. Simpson Miller said. This, she added, is critical for building resilience in the face of climate change and to overcome the constraints imposed by small size, resource scarcity, geo- graphy and inappropriate global classification based mainly on per capita income. Mrs. Simpson Miller was speaking at the United Nations Security Council in New York on July 30. The debt relief strategy was put forward by ECLAC at the 36 th Regular Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, held recently in Barbados. PM Supports ECLAC Debt Relief Strategy THE NATIONAL Indoor Sports Centre is soon to be outfitted with solar panels to generate 100 megawatts of energy, as part of a $20 million pilot project under the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining. This project is expected to significantly reduce the facility’s dependence on the national grid, thereby cutting its usually high cost of energy. Speaking at a cere- mony at the facility on July 29, Portfolio Minister, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, said that at maximum capacity, the Indoor Sports Centre utilises some 500 megawatts of electricity. He noted that the facility is to be licensed to allow it to sell the surplus energy, back to the national grid. “So, the Sports Centre will be generating revenues and from that you will be able to pay whatever bills you incur from JPS [Jamaica Public Service Company]. Aim to make sure that your net is zero,” he advised. The project will be done through the newly formed public company, National Energy Solutions Limited, which was created through the rebranding of the Rural Electrification Programme (REP) and given an expanded mandate. National Indoor Sports Centre to Go Solar Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, speaking at a function held recently. “This proposal is worthy of serious consideration and support from the international community.” Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson (left), hands over a mesh drum cover to Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, at a meeting held the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on July 28. Mesh Drum Covers to Guard Against the Breeding of Mosquitoes Jamaicans Can View Grand Gala at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre THE JAMAICA Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) is making addi- tional arrangements for persons who cannot get into the National Stadium to view the Independence Grand Gala on Indepen- dence Day, August 6. Large screens will be set up at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre (RWEC) in Kingston for the viewing of the Grand Gala, the culmination of Emancipation and Inde- pendence celebrations. The live streaming will begin at 6:00 p.m. Executive Director of the JCDC, Delroy Gordon, said a decision has been taken to set up the screens to allow the public to share in the festivities. “We recognise that the National Stadium is not going to be able to hold all the persons who want to go inside, so we have, this year, made special prepa- ration to accommodate some of those who will not be able to make it by creat- ing a viewing site in the Independence Village,” he told JIS News. Additionally, he said there will be an after-Gala party at the RWEC, which will end at approximately midnight. Executive Director of the Jamaica Cultural Develop- ment Commission (JCDC), Delroy Gordon, addresses a JIS ‘Think Tank’. “We have, this year, made special preparation to accommodate some of those who will not be able to make it by creating a viewing site in the Independence Village.”
Transcript of PM Calls for Greater International · the wider CARICOM region, transnational organised crime...
P RIME MINISTER the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller says
Jamaica and other Carib-bean countries need greaterinternational support tofight trnasnational crimesparticularly gun-relatedmurders. Speaking at the UnitedNations Security Councilin New York on July 30,Mrs. Simpson Miller saidsmall countries such as Jam-aica require comprehensivedebt relief and tangibledevelopment financing toincrease their capacity toinvest a greater share oftheir national budgets intoeffective crime fighting,border control and otherdomestic, regional andglobal peace and securityinitiatives. The Prime Minister alsonoted that in Jamaica andthe wider CARICOM region,transnational organised crime
represents the gravest threatto peace and security. “Extensive, open coast-lines facilitate variousforms of illicit trafficking
in drugs, arms, ammunitionand people, particularlyour women and children,”the Prime Minister said. Recognising the effect ofthe current peace and securitythreats to undermining lawand order, and impeding eco-nomic growth and social devel-opment, Mrs. Simpson Millerstated that Jamaica and otherCARICOM countries havegiven priority attention to safetyand security within theirnational development plans.
“I can assure you that wetake these threats to oursecurity very seriously. Wehave targeted our efforts atdegrading the capabilitiesof organised criminal gangsand directed resources ataddressing the shamefulcrime of human trafficking. We have also invested hea-vily in technology, equipmentand training for our securityforces, within the constraintsof our limited resources,” thePrime Minister stated.
PM Calls for Greater InternationalSupport to Fight Crime
EPOC Co-Chair Supports Pay Down of PetroCaribeDebt
Prime Minister the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller (forefront) at the UNHeadquarters in New York on July 30. In the background (from left) are Ministerof Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. AJ Nicholson, QC; andJamaica's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Courtenay Rattray.
CO-CHAIRMAN OF theEconomic ProgrammeOversight Committee,Richard Byles, is fullysupporting the successfulmove by the Governmentin raising US$2 billionon the international capi-tal market, which will beused to pay down thecountry’s PetroCaribedebt with Venezuela. The money wasraised through two bondissues. Addressing the launchof the Montego BayChamber of Commerceand Industry’s ‘MoBayExpo’ at the WexfordHotel on July 29, Mr.Byles said the move willenable the Government tomake a major reductionin the country’s debt toGross Domestic Product(GDP). “What that will do isreduce our debt to GDPvery considerably, by asmuch as 10 per cent oreven a little bit more. So,we are going to drop
from say 137 per centdebt to GDP, which isridiculous, to about 126per cent and that will putus very firmly on theroad to achieve less thana 100 per cent debt toGDP by 2020,” Mr.Byles said. This, he underscored,would be a major achieve-ment in the EconomicReform Programme beingpursued by the Gov-ernment.
Co-Chairman of the Gov-ernment’s Economic Pro-gramme Oversight Com-mittee (EPOC), RichardByles
PRIME MINISTER theMost Hon. PortiaSimpson Miller says care-ful consideration shouldbe given to the debt reliefstrategy proposed by theEconomic Commissionfor Latin America and theCaribbean (ECLAC), forSmall Island DevelopingStates (SIDS) includingJamaica.
The proposal is for100 per cent debt write-off over time, and wouldinvolve cooperation ofmultilateral institutions,donor countries and smallstate debtor countries. “Comprehensive debtrelief for Caribbean SmallIsland Developing States
that would gradually writeoff 100 per cent of theirmultilateral debt stock istimely. In our view, thisproposal is worthy of seri-ous consideration andsupport from the interna-tional community,” Mrs.Simpson Miller said. This, she added, iscritical for buildingresilience in the face ofclimate change and toovercome the constraintsimposed by small size,resource scarcity, geo-graphy and inappropriateglobal classification basedmainly on per capitaincome. Mrs. Simpson Millerwas speaking at the UnitedNations Security Councilin New York on July 30. The debt relief strategywas put forward byECLAC at the 36thRegular Meeting of theHeads of Government ofthe Caribbean Community,held recently in Barbados.
PM Supports ECLACDebt Relief Strategy
THE NATIONAL IndoorSports Centre is soon tobe outfitted with solarpanels to generate 100megawatts of energy, aspart of a $20 million pilotproject under the Ministryof Science, Technology,Energy and Mining. This project is expectedto significantly reduce thefacility’s dependence onthe national grid, therebycutting its usually high costof energy. Speaking at a cere-mony at the facility onJuly 29, Portfolio Minister,Hon. Phillip Paulwell,said that at maximumcapacity, the Indoor Sports
Centre utilises some 500megawatts of electricity. He noted that thefacility is to be licensed toallow it to sell the surplusenergy, back to the nationalgrid. “So, the SportsCentre will be generatingrevenues and from thatyou will be able to paywhatever bills you incurfrom JPS [Jamaica PublicService Company]. Aim tomake sure that your net iszero,” he advised. The project will bedone through the newlyformed public company,National Energy SolutionsLimited, which was created
through the rebranding ofthe Rural Electrification
Programme (REP) and givenan expanded mandate.
National Indoor Sports Centre to Go Solar
Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining,Hon. Phillip Paulwell, speaking at a function held recently.
“This proposal isworthy of seriousconsideration
and support fromthe internationalcommunity.”
Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson (left), hands over a mesh drum coverto Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. NoelArscott, at a meeting held the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on July 28.
Mesh Drum Covers to Guard Against the Breeding of Mosquitoes
Jamaicans Can View Grand Gala atRanny Williams Entertainment CentreTHE JAMAICA CulturalDevelopment Commission(JCDC) is making addi-tional arrangements forpersons who cannot getinto the National Stadiumto view the IndependenceGrand Gala on Indepen-dence Day, August 6. Large screens will beset up at the RannyWilliams EntertainmentCentre (RWEC) in Kingstonfor the viewing of theGrand Gala, the culminationof Emancipation and Inde-pendence celebrations. Thelive streaming will beginat 6:00 p.m. Executive Director ofthe JCDC, Delroy Gordon,said a decision has beentaken to set up the screensto allow the public to sharein the festivities.
“We recognise that theNational Stadium is notgoing to be able to hold allthe persons who want togo inside, so we have, thisyear, made special prepa-ration to accommodate
some of those who will notbe able to make it by creat-ing a viewing site in theIndependence Village,” hetold JIS News. Additionally, he saidthere will be an after-Galaparty at the RWEC, whichwill end at approximatelymidnight.
Executive Director of theJamaica Cultural Develop-ment Commission (JCDC),Delroy Gordon, addressesa JIS ‘Think Tank’.
“We have, this year,made specialpreparation toaccommodate
some of those whowill not be able tomake it by creatinga viewing site inthe Independence
Village.”
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