The Government has tabled a Green Paper, titled National Policy on Poverty and National Poverty Reduction Programme, which together constitute its response to the need for a systematic and accountable framework to implement, coordinate and monitor measures to address poverty and vulnerability in Jamaica.

The Green Paper, tabled by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation in the House of Representatives last Thursday, seeks to provide a focal point for coordinating poverty programmes and addressing the void existing since the end of the previous programme.

The National Poverty Eradication Programme, and accompanying policy framework, has been in effect since 1997. It is administered through the Programme Monitoring and Coordinating Unit (PMCU) of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). The PMCU ceased functioning around 2007 but, building on the experiences of the past, the new national policy addresses new dynamics and realities in a comprehensive manner.

The policy and programme aim to eradicate extreme poverty by 2022, and reduce the national prevalence of poverty to less than 10 per cent by 2030.

The eradication of extreme poverty will be targeted within the first two medium-term programmes (2015-2018 and 2018-2022). Within the medium-term poverty programmes, specific targets will be set for each goal, and focus will be placed on disaggregation by sex, geographic area, and age cohorts, where feasible.

The determination of the focus areas has been guided by data and research, current policy focus of the Government, lessons learned locally and from regional and international best practice on poverty reduction and socio-economic development, along with insights from consultations with key stakeholders.

According to its Green Paper, reflecting new policy directions and approaches, the national policy and programme are linked to Vision 2030 Jamaica — National Development Plan and its Poverty Reduction Strategic Plan.

“It is also seamlessly linked to the Jamaica Social Protection Strategy (2014), which provides the framework for the delivery of effective social protection, an outcome of Vision 2030 Jamaica,” the Green Paper said.

“The national policy provides a focused and overarching framework for addressing poverty, inclusive of principles, vision, goals, objectives, strategies, institutional and monitoring, and evaluation frameworks. The national programme, on the other hand, outlines the parameters for delivery and provides focused interventions, strategies and actions towards achieving the policy goals over the medium term (2015-2018) and longer term (2030),” it added.

Within the overall framework of the Vision 2030 Jamaica, the policy and programme aim to eradicate extreme poverty and reduce absolute poverty at the national and subnational levels.

The intermediate outcomes of the policy are the strengthening of the institutional and legislative environment, and providing a framework of cooperation among State and non-State actors for sustainability of the poverty reduction efforts.

The policy and programme aim to eradicate extreme poverty by 2022 and reduce the national prevalence of poverty to less than 10 per cent by 2030.