KINGSTON, Jamaica — The leaders of a number of Jamaica’s leading civil society group have expressed concern about what they describe as signs of danger, ‘red flags’, coming out of the recent budget debate.

Speaking at a media briefing dubbed ‘Civil Society Organisations Post Budget Debate Commentary’ organised by the Advocates Network last Wednesday, the grouping of nine partners pointed out that for some time they have been calling for key action from parliamentarians, to ensure that there is improved governance in Jamaica.

Among the issues raised by the partners were the need for the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) to provide information on its operations and for clarity on the constitutional and procedural questions that have been raised surrounding the tabling of reports by the auditor general and the Integrity Commission.

“We call on the CRC to update the nation on these matters and to expedite the process of public education. We also call for the Speaker of the House of Representatives to share the legal opinion from the attorney general regarding the tabling of the reports,” said the partners.

They also raised the issue of the Government’s input into the 2024-2025 Budget Debate which they claimed lacked comprehensive measures to address biased gender social norms which perpetuate inequality and hinder women’s empowerment in all spheres.

The Advocates Network is an unincorporated, non-partisan alliance of individuals and organisations advocating for human rights and good governance to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people of Jamaica and to transform lives.

A leading member of the network, director of the Institute of Law and Economics Professor Rosalea Hamilton, told the media briefing that there are questions to be answered about whether Jamaica’s positive macroeconomic performance is facilitating the development of the country, pointing to a labour force where 70 per cent are uneducated.

According to Hamilton, while there are positives such as the reduction of the debt-to-GDP ratio, Jamaicans must ask themselves if these are the correct indicators that ought to be measured and monitored to achieve the desired outcomes.

In the meantime executive director of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie accused the authorities of paying lip service to important environmental issues, such as the repeated fires at the Riverton City dump and the nuisance it creates in daily life and the danger in which it places people’s health.

“There have been some studies, several studies, because the waste disposal site has reached its capacity, and the studies were to identify alternative sources and to explore the issues of waste incineration, and there were some consultations last year,” said Rodriguez-Moodie as she charged that JET keeps hearing different versions of the promises, but have seen no actions.

Also addressing the media briefing was principal director of the National Integrity Action (NIA) Danielle Archer who called for the urgent repeal of the Official Secrets Act.

Archer charged that the more current Protected Disclosures Act, or whistleblower legislation, cannot succeed alongside the archaic, colonial law.

“If we are really serious about accountability, there has to be the repeal of the Official Secrets Act. There must be a repeal of the archaic law and a strengthening of the Protected Disclosures Act, because if we don’t find a way to allow people to talk, governance would be pointless,” she commented.

“Parliamentarians are required to sit and draft laws and make sure that we have a strong legislative scheme. It’s been an excuse for decades to say that we don’t have enough time,” she concluded.

Calls were also made by executive director of Jamaicans for Justice Mickel Jackson for the long-overdue amendment to the Access to Information Act to be carried out.

She also urged the Government to repeal the decision to subsume the Office of the Political Ombudsman into the Electoral Commission.

Balford Henry