Today we continue our publication of excerpts on GOVERNANCE from the manifestos produced by Jamaica’s political parties.

The manifesto for the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party was launched last month, while that for the ruling People’s National Party was presented on September 16.

The United People’s Party and the New Jamaica Alliance are yet to launch their manifestos, but excerpts will be used from these documents as soon as they are available.

PNP says it will deepen contract with the people

THE People’s National Party has a noble tradition of visionary leadership that places primacy on the development of wholesome, vibrant communities as a critical step in nation building.

We have always held firm to the highest democratic ideals reflected in our continued bid to foster democratic renewal, over and above elections every five years. This is in addition to our efforts to forge bold, new dimensions of national sovereignty and Caribbean regional identity.

In providing good governance, solid leadership and fostering community development, we have:

* Worked to build a sense of community and co-operation among Jamaicans.

* Reduced political tensions and political violence.

* Removed partisan political consideration from the distribution of benefits.

* Provided honest, open, responsible, responsive and consultative government

* Allowed transparency and fairness in the award of contracts through the National Contracts Commission.

* Introduced and enforced corruption-prevention legislation.

* Established a Ministerial Code of Conduct.

* Liberalised the media landscape.

* Expanded the rights of Jamaicans and their children at home and abroad.

We have also:

* Fully involved the Opposition in the Parliamentary Committee process.

* Improved public services through Citizens’ Charters and executive agencies.

* Created systems to reduce and eliminate abuse of power by state authorities.

* Carried out a comprehensive reform of the criminal justice system.

* Achieved greater efficiency in local government through far-reaching reforms.

* Implemented and co-ordinated massive community development programmes.

In the next term we will deepen our contract with the people. This will include:

* Providing more open, accessible, accountable and responsive leadership.

* Further improving the system of justice, including the development of Restorative Justice Programme, thereby empowering communities to take control of selective justice processes.

* Empowering the public sector to deliver world-class service.

* Ensuring that the Jamaican Civil Service becomes a model that consistently delivers real value and high quality service, including e-government

* Fostering the utmost integrity, prudence, financial propriety and transparency in government.

* Promoting a democratic renewal, beyond the vote every five years.

* Accelerating the process of local government reform.

* Expanding and protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens.

* Building community infrastructure and increasing economic opportunities while widening access to quality recreation and fostering wholesome behaviour, unity and co-operation among community members.

Our commitment to better governance revolves around four main principles:

* Widening of political power.

* Providing a framework for more people to gain a stake in the economic process.

* Expanding social opportunity.

* Ensuring that civic and professional organisations play a greater role in nation building.

Governance in the context of the new paradigm must therefore take into account multiple and diverse views and incorporate them into coherent policy.

Local government reform

We are already well on our way towards reforming local government as an essential element in our programme to maintain and strengthen institutions, so that they can effectively deliver service to the people at the community level.

Our commitment to this process is bound by our certain knowledge that communities are capable of identifying their own needs and fashioning solutions to their own problems.

We are well on the way to creating modern local authorities with the capacity, the vision and the resource base necessary to deliver the range of services for which they are responsible, as well as the appropriate mechanisms for accountability and transparency.

In the next term we will be focusing on:

* Improving urban management through the establishment of city and town councils with the requisite capacity to enhance the quality of service delivery and to effectively tackle the problems associated with urban blight.

* Streamlining the development approval process to ensure a timely response to development applications with an estimated J$3.5 billion worth of investment capital for local development.

* Introducing mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency in local authorities.

* Modernising the staff establishment to respond adequately to the technical and administrative challenges of sustainable local development.

JLP promises reform of public administration system

THE JLP will reform the public administration system to improve public accountability, reduce levels of corruption and increase efficiency.

Public accountability plan:

* Establish a new agency, the Office of Public Accountability (OPA) in the Office of the Prime Minister to investigate all areas of administrative inefficiencies, incompetence and lack of accountability throughout the government.

The OPA will address all administrative issues raised by public complaints and reports from the ombudsman. The OPA will also use external auditors and consultants when necessary to avoid reliance on internal investigators.

* Re-establish the Office of Financial Accountability in the Ministry of Finance to ensure implementation of recommendations of the Auditor General, Public Accounts Committee or other constituted bodies dealing with financial administration.

* Strengthen the Financial Administration and Audit Act to provide for disciplinary sanctions for failing to follow prescribed procedures for effective public administration.

* Restructure the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure to reflect performance budgeting which sets physical budget targets and service objectives.

Local government reform

The JLP will establish an effective, professional and service-oriented system of local governance for more effective representation of the people.

The JLP is committed to strengthening and improving the effectiveness of local government:

* Improve delivery of services;

* Increase personnel professionalism, and

* Move to regional model

The JLP will also:

* Introduce legislation to establish four regional councils based on the county structure in Jamaica (Cornwall, Middlesex and Surrey) and the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation. The new legislation will provide these county councils with significant authority for regional infrastructure.

* Declare Portmore as an official city with the Portmore Municipal Council provided with legislative powers to govern and guide the development of Portmore.

* Launch a professional upgrading programme in association with select educational institutions in customer service and managerial training for all council members and officers to improve their ability to execute their duties more effectively.

* Amend the constitution to define the period for local government.