• Governor General - SIR Patrick ALLEN
• Prime Minister - Portia Simpson-Miller
• Deputy Prime Minister -
• Min. of Agriculture and Fisheries - Roger CLARKE
• Min. of  Defense, Development, Information and Sports - Portia Simpson-Miller
• Min. of Energy and Mining -
• Min. of Education - Reverend Ronald THWAITES
• Min. of Finance, Planning & The Public Service - Dr. Peter PHILLIPS
• Min. of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade - Senator Arnold NICHOLSON, Q.C.
• Min. of Health - Dr. Fenton FERGUSON
• Min. of Industry, Commerce and Investment - Anthony HILTON
• Min. of Justice - Senator Mark GOLDING
• Min. of Labour & Social Security - Derrick KELLIER
• Min. of Local Govt. & Community Development - Noel ASCOTT
• Min. of Mining, Energy and ICT - Dr. Phillip PAULWELL
• Min. of National Security - Peter BUNTING
• Min. in the Office of the Prime Minister - 
• Min. of Tourism and Entertainment - Wykeham McNEIL
• Min. of Transport, Works and Housing - Dr. Omar DAVIES
• Min. of Water, Land, Environment & Climate Change - Robert PICKERSGILL
• Min. of Youth and Culture - Lisa HANNA
• Attorney General -
• 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)

General Trends

According to ECLAC's flagship report 'Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2009-2010', the Jamaican economy deteriorated in 2009, forcing the government to enter a 27-month International Monetary Fund (IMF) stand-by arrangement which will provide US$ 1.2 billion over the period. The agreement, which was signed in February 2010,  was designed to restore confidence in the Jamaican economy. While the proximate
 cause of the economic problems was the global recession and its impact on export demand, deeper issues lay in the cumulative effects of an expanding public debt, relatively large current account and fiscal deficits, and falling investor confidence. source: ECLAC

Economic Policy and Conditions

In Jamaica's National Development Plan "Vision 2030 Jamaica, Planning for a Secure & Prosperous Future" Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wesley Hughes, declared that “…2030 is not a magic number. We won’t wake up overnight and see development…” As such, the Plan outlines a vision for our country in which we can all have a stake in the present as well as the future, through a process of transformation involving our collective participation.

This National Development Plan integrates 31 sector plans prepared by Task Forces, comprising stakeholders from public and private sector bodies, civil society and International Development Partners (IDPs).

The Economy

According to ECLAC's latest report, Preliminary Overview of the Caribbean economies 2008-2009, Jamiaca with its high dependency on food and oil imports, the considerable importance of the tourism and commodity exports sectors, and the significant weight of workers’ remittances, is very vulnerable to external shocks. Thus, the global economic crisis hampered output growth and macroeconomic stability. Consequently, GDP would have declined by 0.5% in 2008, while accumulated inflation reached 16.9% (year end). Moreover, there are fears that the adverse evolution of the trade balance could be aggravated by a further deterioration of the terms of trade, while the surplus in the services balance has declined due to higher transportation and freight costs. The overall consequence of this evolution has been a significant widening of the current account deficit. As the global economic crisis keeps unfolding, GDP contraction in 2009 is forecast at 2%.

Tourism
Reflecting the global economic crisis, tourist arrivals decreased slightly. By November 2008 accumulated tourist arrivals totaled 2.5 million, recording a marginal contraction of 1%, relative to the same period of 2007. Cruise arrivals, a key indicator for tourism activity, declined significantly (8.8%). However, this contraction was partially offset by a strong increase in stopover arrivals of non-resident Jamaicans (15.7%), which could be linked to the economic recession in the United States and Europe.
source: ECLAC

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.

Review of the Macroeconomy 2007/2008

Jamaica Budget Presentation 2008/2009

During FY 2007/08 the economy was confronted with a number of challenges. For the most part,the challenges were triggered by exogenous factors. The world witnessed and continues to experience rapidly rising oil and agricultural commodity prices, a severe tightening of international credit markets and a sharp housing downturn in the United States. The convergence of these three factors is unprecedented and resulted in a very challenging external environment.

The country was also faced with challenges arising from the passage of Hurricane Dean in August 2007 as well as the prolonged period of adverse weather conditions which followed and which destroyed agricultural crops creating shortages of domestic food items. Together these challenges had the effect of undermining the pursuit of price stability in Jamaica and contributed to a significant increase in inflation, from 7.4% in the previous fiscal year to an estimated 19% in fiscal year 2007/08.

Debt Management Strategy 2008/2009

The Strategy outlines the path to be pursued in managing the outstanding stock of debt while meeting the Government’s financing needs at minimum cost and risk. In FY2008/09 the Debt Management Strategy will continue to ensure that debt management policies and the operational framework are consistent with nternational best practices.
source: Ministry of Finance Paper No. 22

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.

• National Report of Jamaica on Millennium Development Goals for the UN Economic and Social Council Annual Ministerial Review.
  Geneva, July 2009
  The country has made good progress in eight out of the 14 MDG targets for 2015. Jamaica has already achieved the targeted reduction in absolute poverty, malnutrition, hunger and universal primary enrolment and is on track for combating HIV/AIDS, halting and reversing the incidence of malaria and tuberculosis, access to reproductive health, and provision of safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Lagging in gender equality and environmental sustainability, it is far behind in child and maternal mortality targets. Of great concern is the significant slippage in the proportion of the urban population living in unacceptable living conditions or slums.
  source: Planning Institute of Jamaica

• Vision 2030 Jamaica: National Development Plan 2009: Planning for a Secure and Prosperous Future. January 2009
  Vision 2030 Jamaica introduces a new paradigm which redefines the strategic direction for
  Jamaica and puts us on a different path – a path that will lead to sustainable prosperity.
  source: Government of Jamaica

• 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.

• Monitoring Social Policy Outcomes In Jamaica: Democratic Evaluation and Institutional Change

This paper documents a continuing initiative to monitor and improve social policy in Jamaica. Developed as a key component of the Jamaica Social Policy Evaluation (JASPEV) process, the initiative seeks to link technical innovation in the collection and flow of information to a process of institutional change and inclusiveness at different levels of governance. 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

Jamaica Education Statistics 2009-2010

For the academic year 2009/2010, the Ministry of Education employed 25,329 teachers in the public formal education system. This figure represents an increase of 1.3 percent in the number of teachers employed compared with the previous year. All school types showed an increase in the number of teachers employed except for All Age schools, which showed a 1.8 percent
decline. The largest increase in employment was at the secondary level. Analysis of the data, by professional qualification continued to show a ratio of approximately 6 trained teachers to 1 untrained teacher. For independent schools, there were 2,155 teachers employed in 258 independent instructions.
Source: Ministry of Education

Public Sector Reform Unit & Ministry of Education National Inspection Agency Framework Document

This document sets out the framework within which the National Inspection Agency will operate and how it will become a performance based institution. It outlines  the managerial freedoms that the Chairman and the Chief Inspector will have in  order to run, and be accountable for, the agency’s day-to-day operations. It also sets out the areas in which the performance of the agency will be monitored.
Source: Ministry of Education

Jamaica: World Bank Approves US$16 Million for Results Based Education System

Washington, November 24, 2009.  The World Bank Board of Directors today approved a US$16 million loan for Jamaica to support reforms to the national education system through capacity building.

This project supports Jamaica's efforts to deliver more effective and efficient education services by assisting with the establishment of independent agencies that are accountable for results, said Hon. Andrew Holness, Jamaica's MP and Minister of Education.
  Source: World Bank

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

• Appeal for re-allocation of global HIV/AIDS funds

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday May 3, 2011 – Prime Minister Bruce Golding has made an
appeal to the United Nations (UN) to revisit the criteria for allocating funds to
fight HIV/AIDS as it is not possible for the Government to divert funds and
resources from other urgent priority areas to fight the disease
Source: PANCAP

• World Health Organization (WHO) Country Brief
• Health Information for Travelers to Jamaica

• Green Paper. Tax Reform for Jamaica

• Green Paper. Proposed Whistleblower Legislation: In Search of a Model for Jamaica
   

• Credit Reporting Bill 2008

• Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill 2004

• The Sexual Offences Bill, 2008

• THE EDUCATION ACT

• Drug Offences (Forfeiture of Proceeds) Act

Jamaica: Agriculture Ministry and World Bank to Assess Weather-Risk Insurance Model for Coffee Industry
January 26, 2010 –Jamaica’s coffee farmers are now one step closer to effective crop insurance coverage, based on an agreement signed today by Agriculture Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton; Coffee Industry Board Director General, Mr. Christopher Gentles; and World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist, Mr. Diego Arias, to conduct a feasibility study for the introduction of a weather-risk insurance scheme for the coffee industry.
source: World Bank

Databases

UN DATA: a world of information

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

• Economy to grow 1-2% this year - BOJ
  May 20 2011.
  Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) is projecting the Jamaican economy to grow this fiscal year by one to two per cent amid an improving global economic outlook, ongoing Government infrastructure investment programmes and continued improvements in the fiscal accounts.

• Jamaica Country Brief
  Development Progress
  Jamaica has been a stable democracy since its independence in 1962, with free expression of opinion, a free press and well-established traditions of democratic participation. In spite of modest long-term growth, Jamaica has made substantial progress in poverty reduction since it began monitoring living conditions in 1988
  

• EPA forum for businesses to take place in Kingston
  Thursday  April 9, 2009
  As the global marketplace becomes more anaemic, the Caribbean Council will next month host a forum aimed at improving private businesses' understanding of how the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will be implemented.

• Jamaica could become regional economic hub under EPA, says minister

February 10, 2009

KINGSTON, Jamaica(JIS): Jamaica could become the business and industrial hub of the Caribbean and the Americas, thanks to the opportunities presented under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), signed recently between CARIFORUM States and the European Union (EU).

• Jamaica signs US$100 million loan agreement with World Bank

January 26, 2009
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): Jamaica's Finance and Public Service Minister, Audley Shaw, and Director of the World Bank's Latin American and Caribbean Management Unit, Yvonne Tsikata, January 23 signed a US$100 million (JA$8.49 billion) Development Policy Loan at the Ministry's offices in Kingston, to provide funding support for the Government's fiscal and debt sustainability program

• 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