Cabinet on IMF

CABINET is to begin its two-day retreat today at Jamaica House to examine, among other thing, plans for the engagement of a new economic programme which is expected to form the basis for continued discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator Sandrea Falconer said that the medium-term fiscal programme which has been formulated within the context of the Fiscal Responsibility Framework will be reviewed against the background of the current status of the country’s public finances.

Falconer, who was addressing journalists at the newly branded Jamaica House press briefing yesterday, said that the Government will determine firstly the Supplementary Budget for 2011/2012 which should be tabled within the next few weeks.

“The discussions we have over the next few days will inform the policies that will be required to attain sustainable medium-term fiscal profile on which the new budget will be constructed and presented in April 2012,” she said, adding that the priority programmes and projects for 2012/2013 will also be determined.

New ambassador

A new ambassador to Washington will be announced by this week, according to Senator Falconer.

Falconer yesterday announced that the person has already been selected ahead of the announcement which is to be made within days.

The appointment of a new ambassador comes following the resignation of Audrey Marks who took up the position to the US capital in May 2010 under the Jamaica Labour Party administration.

“There are certain diplomatic positions that are political and it is just par for the course that when a government changes that persons who are in those positions resign and are replaced by a persons who the current government chooses,” she said.

Jamaica House Live scrapped

The Jamaica House Live call-in programme which was implemented by the past administration will not be continued by this government.

“The prime minister is looking at other ways of communicating with the public and we are working through those,” Falconer said.

Dudley Thompson

The body of former Cabinet Minister Ambassador Dudley Thompson is expected to arrive in the island this morning for the official funeral which is scheduled to be held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kingston on February 10 at 2:00 pm. He is to be interred at the Military Cemetery at Up Park Camp.

Senator Falconer said that condolence books have been opened at The Mico University Collage, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the headquarters of the People’s National Party. Cabinet, she said, discussed the outstanding contribution of Thompson as a parliamentarian, government minister and lawyer.

“We also discussed his contribution to foreign affairs and Jamaica’s economic development, especially in the area of bauxite,” she said.

According to Falconer, it was recommended that a committee should be established to examine the creation of a fitting and permanent tribute in recognition of his contribution and in his memory.

The committee will be chaired jointly by Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna and the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Anthony Hylton.

New Legislation Committee

Cabinet has also approved the appointment of the Legislation Committee to be chaired Minister of Justice Senator Mark Golding and will comprise Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business in the Senate Senator AJ Nicholson; Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill; Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining and Leader of the House Phillip Paulwell; Minister of Labour and Social Security Derrick Kellier; and Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister Natalie Neita-Headley.

Falconer said that in attendance at those meetings will be Minister of State in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Arnaldo Brown; Minister of State, Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams and Attorney General Patrick Atkinson.

Investment Forum

A Jamaica Investment Forum is to be held next month aimed at assisting Jamaica in promoting high-profile investment opportunities as well as target strategic high net worth investors.

Senator Falconer said that the objectives and structure of the forum and an update on the budget, the scheduled programme of activities and the selected public and private sector investment projects to be promoted at the forum were presented to Cabinet.

“The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce was encouraged to ensure that funding for the forum is secured through the ministry’s existing budgetary allocations in light of the Government’s fiscal constraints,” Falconer said.

Other investment opportunities, she said, will be pursued outside of what was presented to Cabinet and these include investments relating to mineral baths, botanical gardens, a cultural performing arts centre and the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium.

Every opportunity, she said, must also be taken to capitalise on ‘Brand Jamaica’ during the two-day event which is to be held in Montego Bay from March 1.