NEWELL, St Elizabeth — Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has reiterated that Jamaicans should embrace being more efficient, even as his Administration tries to grow the economy and fast-track projects “tied down” in bureaucracy.

“Every Jamaican has to become more efficient in what we do. We have to become more productive in what we do,” Holness, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader, told supporters at the party’s St Elizabeth parish meeting at Newell High School last Saturday night.

“…What has happened to us as a country — I am not going to think of it as something bad — but what has happened to us over the last two or three decades is that we have [become] tied down in bureaucracy. Everything that has to be done takes longer than it really should; it is frustrating. We have become a society where we don’t trust ourselves and so we have layered, very thickly, all kinds of legislation, all kinds of regulation, all kinds of steps,” he added.

He said Jamaicans are frustrated with the length of time it takes to resolve issues in communities.

“It take long to get everything done in Jamaica,” he said while pointing to the collapsed Troy Bridge.

Work recently started to replace the structure, which links north-west Manchester and southern Trelawny, and is expected to be completed within seven months.

“Long time that deh bridge deh build and with one of the tropical storm weh pass through, it wash weh the bridge… it took us two years to build the bridge. The problem isn’t that the Government didn’t have the money — the problem is, we have put in place so many laws to ensure whatever expenditure we do there is transparency, accountability and traceability, and value for money.

“… Two years! And every month something come out, somebody a cuss bout the bridge; and no matter how I explain to them that if it doesn’t go through something called procurement, a oonu same one a go cuss wi and seh wi tief di money or wi gi it to wi friend,” he added.

He said efficiency among Jamaicans is a good way to speed up productivity and get things done quickly.

“We are not going to be able to remove all the protections in legislation and regulations, but the people who have the responsibility to carry out those legislation and regulations and policy have to move more quickly,” he said.

Holness told supporters that his Administration takes credit for improving the country’s economy.

“We fixed the economy. I am not here telling you that we have a whole heap of money, but we are in a better position to plan for the things that you need,” he said while pointing out that people understand the aspects of fixing an economy.

“…If the Americans can understand that it is about the economy then we understand too. Everybody understands. And it is only one political party that has been able to fix the economy of Jamaica, and that is the [JLP],” he said.