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Jamaica

Quick Facts

Population:	2,731,832
Land area:	10,991 square Km
Capital:	Kingston
Language(s):	English
Local Currency:	Jamaica dollar (JMD)
Exchange:	US$1.00 = JMD 65.71
UNDP Human Development Rank:	104 of 177
Life Expectancy:	70.8
Adult Literacy rate:	87.6
Official Government website:	http://www.jis.gov.jm/

Government

Governor General - Cooke, Howard, Sir
Prime Minister - Golding, Bruce
Deputy Prime Minister - Baugh, Dr Kenneth
Min. of Agriculture - Tufton, Dr. Christopher
Min. of Planning, Development and Defense - Golding,Bruce
Min. of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications - Mullings, Clive
Min. of Education - Holness, Andrew
Min. of Finance & The Public Service - Shaw, Audley
Min. in the Min. of Finance & The Public Service - Wehby, Don
Min. in the Min. of Finance & The Public Service -Nelson, Dwight
Min. of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade - Baugh, Dr Kenneth
Min. of Health and Environment - Spencer, Rudyard
Min. of Industry & Commerce - Samuda, Karl
Min. of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports - Grange, Olivia
Min. of Justice - Lightbourne, Dorothy
Min. of Labour & Social Security - Charles, Pearnel
Min. of National Security - Smith, Derrick
Min. in the Office of the Prime Minister - Robertson, James
Min. of Tourism - Bartlett, Edmund
Min. of Transportation & Works - Henry, Michael
Min. of Water & Housing - Chang, Dr Horace
Attorney General - Lightbourne, Dorothy
Governor, Central Bank - Latibeaudiere, Derick
Ambassador to the US - Shirley, Gordon
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York - Neil, Stafford

Public Holidays: New Year's Day (01 January); Ash Wednesday; Good Friday; Easter Monday; Labour Day (22 May); Emancipation Day (1 August); Independence Day (First Monday in August); National Heroes Day (16 October); Christmas Day (25 December); Boxing Day (26 December)

Economic Development

Economic Survey of the Caribbean 2007-2008

The survey provides an overview of the economic performance of countries of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) for the year 2007 and their outlook for 2008. The last chapter presents country briefs with the main macroeconomic developments in 2007 and the outlook for 2008.

Jamaica posted a moderate GDP growth rate of 1.2% in 2007, which was below expectations. The current account deficit widened significantly and annual price inflation rose to 16.8%,almost three times the 2006 level. A combination of negative externalities, such as the Hurricane Dean or the continuous increase in the international prices of Jamaica’s main imports, mainly explains the slowdown in the economy.

A general election held in September 2007 resulted in a change of government, with the Jamaica Labour Party coming into office after 18 years of uninterrupted rule by the People’s National Party. The new government has established as main objectives for its economic and financial policies the increase of GDP growth, the reduction of the public debt burden and the control of price inflation. However, with just over 50% of the budget already dedicated to service the external and domestic public debt, freedom for fiscal and economic manoeuvres is quite constrained, making a priority the implementation of structural measures like a comprehensive tax reform, an expenditure improvement or a reduction in debt-service obligations.

The challenging international environment, especially relevant considering the vulnerability of Jamaica’s economy to external shocks, complicates perspectives for 2008. This high exposure to external shocks advises caution in the setting of economic goals, which has been reflected in the official forecast for GDP real growth for 2008, in the range of 2.5% to 3.5%, and the expectation for a recurrent current account deficit and a negative central government balance.

The government’s success against criminal activities will be another key factor to provide economic, political and social stability to the country. Currently, Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates in the world and the economic impact of criminal activities is not to be dismissed: according to the United nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the overall cost of crime is equivalent to 3.7% of Jamaica’s GDP, and the rise in criminal activities is specially affecting the tourism sector, which is highly sensitive to safety and security issues.

Economic Performance for 2006

Main Soource: 2006/07 Jamaica Budget Opening Presentation,Economic Statistics February 2007, and Statistical Digest November 2006
Links: Ministry of Finance and Planning Jamaica, and Statistical Insitute of Jamaica

The country of Jamaica has been steadily improving its economic performance after the recent Hurricane Ivan destruction in 2004. In 2006 Jamaica faced adversities such as, inflation due to high food-prices, unprecedented increases in oil prices, Domestic and External Public debt, and the obvious sectoral recovering from the impact of Hurricane Ivan. In light of these set backs, Jamaica still generated a minor yet creditable real GDP increase of 1.4%. Unemployment has decreased to 10.9% (from 11.4% in 2005), where improvements in Net International Reserves, recovering agriculture and tourism receipts held the country from being in a desperate situation.

The minister of finance and Planning (Dr. The hon. Omar Davies) stated that tourists’ earnings surpassed the previous year’s numbers by 6.5% growing to $11.5 billion dollars. And as Jamaica continues to improve its quality for tourism, respect and appreciation will be shown by various hospitality organizations (as of recent, Jamaica has been awarded the Caribbean’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards held in Turks and Caicos (September 2006)).

Future Prospects for Jamaica

According to a 2004 report dealing with Caribbean trade arrangements with the E.U., the Jamaican informal economy is worth close to 50% of the country’s GDP earnings. To find the determinant of this progressing hidden sector, an investigation of the direction of its real sector is pertinent for solving the missing pieces of Jamaica’s development.

Due to oil import bills, there has been a widening of the Balance of Payments deficit in 2006, which could not be compensated by exports from the once promising bauxite sector. The government’s inability to meet the target of the latter period in 2006 was caused by the impact on economic production by natural disaster shocks, leading to a deterioration of the overall deficit.

The most defining structural factor, of all the economic downfalls of Jamaica in 2006, should be its inability to contain or manage Public Debt. Jamaica’s public debt stood at an alarming $847 billion in 2006, an increase of 11.5% in the previous fiscal year. IMF conducted a working paper on Public Debt and Productivity in Jamaica, where the study illustrated if total debt doubled, then there would be a reduction in productivity growth of about 1.5%. Moreover, the paper states that high debt adversely affects investment and productivity by (i) distorting the allocation of investment toward less productive areas, (ii) reducing the scope for public sector investment, which complements the role of increasing the effectiveness of private investment.

Though productivity growth must not be equated with economic development, addressing the most inferior sector (e.g. Public Debt) can supplement other governmental interventions, and therefore draw the Jamaican economy to attain better standards and targets.

Social Development

Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the Caribbean.
March 2007
It has been hypothesized that recent crime troubles in the Caribbean could be tied to the activities of deportees who have learned criminal behavior in the developed countries. This report examines the situation in Jamaica, which is one of the Caribbean countries proportionately most affected by criminal deportations. With currently available data, it is possible to conclude that it is unlikely that the average deportee is committing crime in Jamaica. At the same time, it is possible that a minority of deportees is involved in criminal activity. Assisting in reintegration efforts for deported offenders could be a cost-effective way for deportee-sending countries to promote development and weaken international crime networks.

Jamaica: World Bank Approves $29.3 Million To Improve The Quality Of Life In Inner City Communities

Washington, March 29, 2006 ―The World Bank’s Board of Directors today approved a $29.3 million loan to improve the quality of life for the urban poor residing in 12 Jamaican inner-city communities through improved access to basic urban infrastructure, financial services, land tenure regularization, enhanced community capacity and improvements in public safety.
source:World Bank

2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (Western Hemisphere)

All men and women desire and deserve to live in dignity and liberty. As President Bush said: "The advance of freedom is the great story of our time." Promoting human rights and democracy is a worldwide phenomenon and there is a growing global discussion of democracy and the universal values protected by democratic governance.

By defending and advancing human rights and democratic principles, we keep faith with our country’s most cherished values and lay the foundation for lasting peace. Fulfilling the promise of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and building vibrant democracies worldwide will take generations, but it is work of the utmost urgency that cannot be delayed.
Source:US Dept. of State

The Ten Year Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development in Jamaica (2001 - 2010)

Projected to cover a 10 year period, the planning process of the Master Plan began in 1997 February and is divided into three phases: Industry Diagnosis, Formulation of Strategic Options and Tourism Action Planning, the first two of which were completed by the end of 1998 December. The plan, still in its embryonic stages, is expected to be the policy framework guiding the future development of the sector.
The specific objectives of the Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development as stated in the document are as follows: i) providing a framework for the sustainable development of tourism in Jamaica; ii) identifying priority areas or regions for tourism development in Jamaica iii) structuring the development of tourism facilities in terms of time and location; iv) identifying finance and investment needs; (v) identifying potential tourism markets; vi) providing strategies for the development of tourism products and facilities in the context of environmental and cultural preservation and conservation; and vii) identifying the appropriate strategies needed at both the policy and operational levels for implementation of the Master Plan.
Source: Jamaica Sustainable Development Network

NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY: A Vision for Jamaica

The purpose of the Policy is to facilitate the development of an environment that optimizes the potential of each young Jamaican. Specifically, the Policy seeks to: • Define a common vision and framework for youth development; • Articulate the roles and responsibilities of youth in their personal and national development; • Serve as a tool for advocating youth development issues.

Overall Policy Goals 1. To foster a culture of positive youth development and participation in decision making around activities that affect the lives of youth 2. To increase the capacity of service providers to provide accessible, relevant and high quality services for young people and their families 3. To guide for the development of a multi-sectoral approach to youth development in Jamaica.
Source: Min. of Education,Youth & Culture.

International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for 2006

Illicit Drugs Shipped Through Caribbean Nations to U.S., Europe

The report cites Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica as major transit points. As a result of their geographic location, many nations of the Caribbean are utilized as transit countries to shift cocaine, marijuana and other illicit drugs from South America to the United States, Europe and elsewhere, according to the U.S. State Department's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) for 2006.
Source:U.S. Department of State

Education

Environment

Assessment of the Socioeconomic and Environmental Impact of Hurricane Ivan on Jamaica.

Hurricane Ivan was one of a series of very strong, extreme climatic events that hit the Caribbean Basin in 2004, affecting more than a dozen countries during this year's hurricane season. Such events have exposed the different degrees of readiness, response and resilience of countries and states in the Caribbean region, exemplifying how vulnerability in the face of recurrent hazards varies greatly in accordance with the level of their development. Resilience to these events and sustainability are linked firstly to specific environmental conditions as well as to organizational institutional and economic policies.

Countries and states affected by Atlantic tropical systems ranging from tropical storms and depressions to category five Hurricanes (Saffir-Simpson scale) include the US state of Florida, the island of Cozumel in Mexico, the islands of the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Grenada, Tobago and Hispaniola with disparate economic and social effects in Dominican Republic and in Haiti. The cluster of events in 2004 talks strongly to the link between development and risk and disaster management where appropriate response and management of emergency are positively illustrated (the case of Cuba), minor global impact on the national economy with relevant local and fund allocation consequences (Florida and the depletion of FEMA's budget), total impact of a major event on a small island development state (Grenada) and spillovers of localized damage to the total economy both at the national level (Jamaica and Dominican Republic) and regional level (the Caribbean as a whole where event though not all island nations and states and governments had a direct hit, the whole of the region is exposed to indirect and tertiary effects (in terms for example of insurance costs, reassessment of the risk for investment, flows of tourism, etc.)
Source: UNECLAC

Solid Waste Management

Health

Legislation

Agriculture

Developing a State-of-the-Art Traceability System for Jamaican Agriculture: An Evolutionary Collaborative Process. (Dionne Clarke-Harris)
As part of a national response to address an emergent quarantine pest problem (gall midge species complex) on hot pepper exports from Jamaica to the USA, the USAID-sponsored Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program (IPM CRSP) which is led (administration and implementation) in the Caribbean by the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), provided a technical assistance grant and scientific expertise to a collaborative effort to develop and execute a management strategy to deal with this pest.
SOURCE: ICT4D Jamaica

Statistics

Selected statistics indicators for JAMAICA
UN Statistics Division for JAMAICA
Caribbean Social Statistics Database
Caribbean Trade Statistical Database

ICT Profile

POLICY STATEMENTS

Jamaica’s Information Society Country Profile. ECLAC. November 2006
Jamaica’s development agenda includes a relevant role for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as enablers for improvement of public service, trade activities, competitiveness and the quality of life of its citizens.

The telecommunications market is fully liberalized, following a 3-phase process that started in 2000. In 2006, mobile penetration is estimated at 101% and a second Fibre-Optic international carrier became operational. This has reduced Internet prices, broadband included, and pushed penetration to 40% of the population. Broadband access remains limited to less than 4% of the population.

STRATEGIC PLAN

ICT 4D Jamaica Strategic plan
ICT4D Jamaica is an open, Jamaican-based network organization legally registered and established to define, promote and facilitate the use of information and communication technologies in the development process. We believe that the effective sharing and use of information for learning and earning, producing more with less is critical if we are to achieve growth and competitiveness.

The organization is registered as a not-for-profit company since March 2004 and was restructured in mid-2005 to place strategic planning and monitoring within the portfolio of an expanded and formalized Board. It’s members include partner agencies such as the Ministry of Commerce, Science and Technology, HEART Trust/NTA, Institute of Education and IICD (ex-officio). The operational activities of ICT4D Jamaica are performed by the Secretariat which is staffed by an Information Network Coordinator who is supported by the group’s Chair, operating in her capacity as Director, Projects and Partnerships, HEART Trust/NTA, and Michelle Christie, Project Officer, HEART Trust/NTA

Vision
ICT4D Jamaica is the leading network-based and ICT enabled organization, supporting knowledge sharing in matters relating to ICT4D which impacts positively on sustainable development in Jamaica and the Region.This will be achieved through:

Contribution to policy formulation and implementation particularly in regard to ensuring widespread access to ICT tools for the general population for individual and collective social and economic growth and development
Effective and efficient utilization of network-based collaboration to gather, store, disseminate and recognize ICT4D information, knowledge and best practices
Fostering development of new ICT technologies and new applications of current technologies especially as these relate to SMEs within target sectors and the development of competences required for the building of a knowledge society.

LEADING INSTITUTIONS

Central Information Technology Office
Jamaica Information Services

NEWS

e-GOVERNMENT

Jamaica Information Service
Jamaica’s Development Gateway
Access to Information

ENABLING LEGISLATIONS

The Access to Information Act commenced on Monday January 5, 2004

PUBLICATIONS/DOCUMENTS

The Role of ICTs in Community Development
In common parlance, the term ¡Community¡¨ may conjure up images of geographically discrete spaces serviced by common amenities or services. There is, however, a wider application of the term Community as indicated by the definition found in Websters dictionary i.e "any group living in the same area or having interests, work, etc. in common." Whereas years ago the geographical definition generally took precedence , today it is the latter groups i.e persons and/or organisations united by common interests or practices (Community of Interest or Community of Practice) which are increasingly identified by the term.
SOURCE: ICT4D Jamaica

2006 Information and Communications for Development. Global Trends and Policies
The purpose of Information and Communications for Development 2006: Global Trends and Policies is to consolidate all these M&E efforts and share the findings with the development community. In addition to ICT At-a- Glance tables for 144 economies, this report includes analytical work that applies these data to a range of topics: investment trends, principles and practical solutions to extending ICT services, the role of ICT in doing business, trends in national e-strategies, and approaches to tracking ICT globally.

Further efforts are needed to coordinate and make M&E analysis fully operational in the arena of ICT for development. The World Bank Group stands ready to work with countries and the international community to determine how best to use ICT for poverty reduction and economic growth in the developing world. It is hoped that this report will play a positive role in these efforts.
source: World Bank

ICT INDICATORS collected by Statistical Offices

More Information

Jamaica, TT taking different routes on financial turbulence

Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are traversing different routes in dealing with the financial crisis now flowing across the globe. Source: TT Newsday Newspaper

Key Documents

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Exploring policy linkages between poverty, crime and violence: A look at three Caribbean states: LC/CAR/L.172
Exploring policy linkages between poverty, crime and violence: A look at three Caribbean states: LC/CAR/L.172
Impact of changes in the European Union import regimes for sugar, banana and rice on selected CARICOM countries: LC/CAR/L.168
Agricultural Development Strategy 2005-2008
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AGRI-FOOD DISTRIBUTION SERVICES INDUSTRY IN CARICOM
Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the Caribbean
Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2007-2008
2005 Latin America and the Caribbean Selected Economic and Social Data
Bank of Jamaica. Economic Statistics. October 2008
Toward a Caribbean Vision 2020: A Regional Perspective on Development Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies for
IDB Country Strategy with Jamaica (2006-2009)
2008-2009 Jamaica Budget
KEY JAMAICAN LEGISLATION
CTO. Latest Tourism Statistics for the Caribbean 2008
Evaluation of the training workshop on Socio-Economic Impact of Disasters Using the ECLAC Methodology: A Sustainable Livelihood Approach
Exploring policy linkages between poverty, crime and violence: A look at three Caribbean States
Economic Survey of the Caribbean 2007-2008
National AIDS Committee of Jamaica
Telecommunications Policy reform in Jamaica: recommendations rom the Jamaica Telecommunications Advisory Council to the Minister of Industry Commerce and Technology. July 2002
Assessment of the Telecommunication Services Sector in CARICOM: Convergence Issues at the Regional and International Level