Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has reiterated the Authorities’s dedication to advance vital programmes designed to boost the standard of life for Jamaicans.
He mentioned his Administration stays resolute to the prudent administration of the financial system, noting that components similar to international inflation, climate occasions similar to hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively impacted the price of residing.
Dr. Holness was addressing the fifth staging of the Nationwide Day of Prayer and the nineteenth staging of the Heal the Household, Heal the Nation annual gathering on the Nationwide Enviornment in Kingston, on January 8.
“Although the Authorities just isn’t the reason for the costs going up, the Authorities remains to be accountable for the administration of the financial system, and one of many issues that we’re dedicated to doing is to make life simpler for the households, so if it’s the electrical energy that’s going to make your life harder, the price of it, we’re going to do one thing about it,” the Prime Minister mentioned.
“If it’s the water invoice that you just face, now we have been doing one thing about it, and for these of you who haven’t taken benefit of the amnesty, please accomplish that; that may scale back your price of residing,” he added.
Dr. Holness mentioned roughly $1 billion will probably be spent to spice up agricultural manufacturing outputs, “so that you’ve got extra agricultural produce out there, in order that the worth of it goes down”.
“Already, inflation has gone down to three.9 per cent, coming from a excessive of 12 per cent. Transportation, one other large price in your consumption basket, and now we have made certain to broaden the JUTC (Jamaica City Transit Firm) into different areas, in order that the worth that you just pay is a subsidised and decreased worth,” the Prime Minister mentioned.
“So, we’re doing every thing that we will to deliver down inflation and specifically meals inflation. We wish your family to afford a good life and the fundamentals in Jamaica. However it’s not simply in managing inflation that now we have performed effectively; our unemployment fee is on the lowest ever, at 3.6 per cent. We’ve by no means had that stage of employment within the nation earlier than, however… I do know for a lot of of you there are nonetheless many children on the market who are usually not working,” he added.
The Prime Minister famous, too, that the Authorities has carried out programmes to interact extra children and produce them into the labour pressure. Additionally, he shared that the social pension programme for individuals aged 75 years and older has been launched to supply assist to the nation’s senior residents.
In the meantime, he knowledgeable that the nation recorded a discount in severe crimes in 2024, noting that there was a 19 per cent discount in murders, which implies that roughly 250 lives had been saved.
“Your prayers had so much to do with that,” he advised the congregants.
He additional urged Jamaicans to take a constructive and hopeful outlook on life. “So, regardless that instances are laborious, we agree issues are robust, however I would like you to take a constructive view, a hopeful view, not simply replicate on yourselves however I additionally need you to replicate on the regional and international state of affairs,” the Prime Minister mentioned.
“I would like you to understand, sure it tough right here – not going to disclaim that – however rely your blessings. God has been good to us; give God thanks,… preserve a constructive perspective, meet life with an open arm, constructive outlook; the glass just isn’t half empty; it’s only half empty if you end up wanting right down to the underside. For us, the glass should all the time be half full after we are wanting as much as the Lord,” he added.
In the meantime, he mentioned the annual gathering brings Jamaicans collectively as a nation underneath God’s grace and steerage.
“I maintain this occasion near my coronary heart and I stay up for it every year. It serves as a robust reminder of the power and unity we derive from our religion and the significance of searching for divine steerage and course for the challenges and alternatives of the 12 months forward. I deeply worth the prayers and reflections shared right here, which encourage not solely private renewal but additionally a collective dedication to therapeutic and uplifting our households and communities all through the nation,” the Prime Minister mentioned.
In the meantime, Chief of the Opposition, Mark Golding, urged Jamaicans to unite to make the nation a greater place for all.
“We’re an important folks, now we have many challenges however there are not any challenges that we can’t overcome if we embrace the righteousness and the phrase of God and put God within the centre of every thing that we do,” he mentioned.
