Bulletin June 24, 2019.qxp_Layout 1 21/06/2019 5:38 PM Page 1 Edward Seaga Remembered HE LATE former Prime stood their dreams and for his part, former Minister, the Most aspirations. Prime Minister, Bruce Economic Growth Buoyed by THon. edward Phillip “in many ways, he intro- Golding, noted that Mr. Construction and Mining – IMF George seaga, was remem- duced Jamaicans to their seaga ranks high in the pro- tHe internAtionAL Mon- continued buoyant tax col- culture. He brought Jamaican found impact he had on bered at a joint sitting of the etary fund (iMf) says lections in April and above Jamaica’s national and political Houses of Parliament on culture out of the dark and Jamaica's improved eco- budget capital expenditure— June 19, for his unyielding obscure into the light of the landscape. nomic growth in fiscal year an encouraging new normal and sterling contribution to mainstream to stand side by He added that the pas- 2018/19 was buoyed by for Jamaica. sion with which Mr. seaga nation-building. side with colonial culture, construction and mining, “Looking ahead, having thereby giving definition to served his constituents and while noting that unemploy- strong institutions in place Mr. seaga was Jamaica’s who we are as a people and the spectacular way he built ment is now at an all-time will be critical to entrench fifth Prime Minister, serving getting us to accept what we the institutions that stand as low of eight per cent. the hard-earned gains from from 1980 to 1989. He repre- A delegation, headed by the economic reforms. in Prime Minister the Most create as being valuable,” milestones have made him a sented the constituency of iMf Mission Chief for Jam- this regard, the Government Hon. Andrew Holness Mr. Holness said. “legend of our time”. West Kingston from 1962 aica, Dr. Uma ramakrishnan, of Jamaica’s commitments until his retirement from ended a five-day visit to the to enacting amendments to active politics in 2005. He island recently, ahead of the the Bank of Jamaica Act to died on May 28 on his 89th sixth and final review under adopt a full-fledged inflation the Us$1.6 billion 36-month targeting framework, creating birthday. stand-By Agreement (sBA) a policy framework for natu- Prime Minister the Most planned for september. ral disasters risk financing, Hon. Andrew Holness, who Dr. ramakrishnan noted and tabling legislation for led the tributes, noted that that primary surplus in the establishment of an Mr. seaga always had an fY2018/19 was in excess of independent fiscal Council enquiring mind. seven per cent of Gross are important next steps,” He said Mr. seaga had Domestic Product (GDP) for Dr. ramakrishnan said. the sixth consecutive year, the iMf team reiterated a deeper understanding of with public debt falling to the need to institute a new the culture of the people Members of the Houses of Parliament pay tribute to the late former Prime Minister the about 95 per cent of GDP at streamlined and performance- and thinking, and under- Most Hon. Edward Seaga. end-March 2019. based compensation frame- she further stated that work for government employ- Diaspora Policy Reflects Commitment to Jamaicans Abroad – the fY2019/20 budget exe- ees before the next round of Foreign Affairs Minister cution is underpinned by wage negotiations. Minister of foreign Affairs “We had multi-level layers the foreign Affairs Minister and foreign trade, senator of consultation and even said the intention is to now the Hon. Kamina Johnson then, there were deeper dis- embed the policy “to make smith, says the proposed cussions with the Diaspora sure it is there in a formal implementation of a national Advisory Board members. sense, which will lead to its Diaspora Policy reflects the this is part of a truly inclusive sustainability”. process, which has taken us commitment of the Govern- eight major policy goals to this draft national ment across administrations have been established for Diaspora Policy,” she said. to the development and the national Diaspora Policy. she was speaking at a well-being of Jamaicans these treat with diaspora plenary session for the engagement and facilitation abroad. eighth Biennial Jamaica of their partnership in national she said that the policy, Diaspora Conference at the development, including through which is now at the draft Jamaica Conference Centre Minister of Foreign Affairs human capital inputs, pro- stage, has gone through in downtown Kingston on and Foreign Trade, Senator motion of the well-being of Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. various consultations and Nigel Clarke (left), peruses a document along with June 19. the Hon. Kamina Johnson Jamaicans at home and reviews, including valuable Mrs. Johnson smith said Smith International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief for abroad, and the engagement inputs from the Jamaican the policy is intended to pro- itutional framework for engage- Jamaica, Dr. Uma Ramakrishnan, at a recent press of young people. conference held at the Ministry’s offices in Kingston. vide the foundational inst- ment with the Diaspora. Diaspora. More ABC Kiosks for Airports Minister of national sec- incoming passengers at the process incoming travellers urity, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, norman Manley international to the island. says additional automated Airport in Kingston and “recent figures show border-crossing (ABC) kiosks sangster international in that wait time within the will soon be made available Montego Bay, st. James. immigration halls has dropped at the island’s two inter- “this will contribute to from a minimum of three national airports. an overall improvement in hours to under 80 minutes speaking at the Passport, services being offered at our during peak times over the immigration and Citizenship ports of entry, including a last two years,” he said. Agency (PiCA) Border security significant reduction in the the kiosks are a partner- Conference on June 19, at wait time in the immigration ship between the Ministry of the terra nova All-suite hall,” he pointed out. national security and PiCA, Hotel in st. Andrew, Dr. Dr. Chang noted that the with the objectives of Chang said the increase in ABC kiosks, which were enhancing travel facilitation Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, speaks at the Passport, Immigration the kiosks will positively introduced in 2014, have and achieving increased & Citizenship Agency (PICA) Border Security Conference, held on June 19 at the Terra impact the processing of boosted PiCA’s capacity to border security. Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew. SRHA Receives Ambulances More Than 4,000 Persons Find Jobs Through LMIS sinCe tHe recent upgrading make informed decisions,” A major function of the eLe of Jamaica’s Labour Market the state Minister said. is the provision of career information system (LMis), He was delivering the counselling to jobseekers, some 4,208 persons have keynote address at the tips on résumé writing, inter- found jobs, while the system launch of the LMis website view and job search tech- has attracted 1,300 employ- and mobile application, held niques. ers and 23,000 jobseekers. on June 17 at the Jamaica Mr. Mayne informed that Making the disclosure, Pegasus hotel in new the system is part of his Minister of state in the Kingston. Ministry’s continued quest to Ministry of Labour and social the internet-based sys- “reduce unemployment and security, Hon. Zavia Mayne, tem has three major compo- to minimise the existing skills said the LMis has had a “sig- nents – the electronic Labour gap in the labour market”. nificant impact” on the labour exchange (eLe), the Labour He pointed out that the market in Jamaica. Market intelligence (LMi) and website is now more user- Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, examines a piece of equipment inside one of the three retrofitted ambulances, which were officially “the LMis has become a the skills Bank. it was estab- friendly, and features improved handed over to the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), recently, at the national employment portal, lished to link prospective job-matching capability, easier Percy Junor Hospital in Manchester. Looking on (from left) are Dimitri South, w it h career practitioners and employers with employees navigation, and is representing Member of Parliament for North East Manchester, Audley Shaw educators now using it to through a web-based medium. more contemporary. and Vice Chairman of the SRHA Board, Michael Stern. WE HAVE MOVED TELEVISION We are now located at: 5-9 South Odeon Avenue Tel: 876-922-3317 or 876-922-8680-4 Kingston 10 Email: [email protected] ADVT..