OPPOSITION Senator Professor Floyd Morris has sought and got confirmation from the Government that Jamaicans with disabilities will be considered for jobs in operations funded by large-scale investors.

Morris, who is visually impaired, made the intervention on behalf of the disabled community during last Friday’s debate in the Senate on The Income Tax Relief (Large Scale Projects and Pioneer Industries) Act 2025. The Act targets large-scale investors with a minimum US$1 billion ($150 billion).

“We’re are talking about Government incentivising investors who come in with over US$1 billion. This is not small cash — because you’re talking about J$150 billion — and incentives are going to be provided to these individuals for their investments, and that is fair game,” Morris said in his contribution to the debate on the Bill that was piloted by Industry, Investments and Commerce Minister Senator Aubyn Hill.

“My concern is the social engineering mechanisms that you’re going to put in place to support legislation like these because here you have a situation — and I specifically stand as it relates to persons with disabilities — where the data, based on research, is showing up to 90 per cent of these individuals are unemployed,” Morris added.

He argued that the legislation needs to address, as it relates to investors, how to incentivise their employment of persons with disabilities.

Morris, who teaches at The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, told the Senate that he has, from time to time, received requests from persons with disabilities seeking employment. He said there should be “a system of meritocracy wherebby people can get employment based on their qualification and the systems that we put in place”.

He appealed directly to Senator Hill to, “make sure that in the roll-out of this piece of legislation, consideration be given to ensuring that these large project investments take into consideration the employment of persons with disabilities”.

Morris argued that, “a significant number of individuals will be employed on these projects, because you don’t just have J$150 billion and it employs 10 people — you’re talking about thousands of individuals who will be employed”.

“We want to ensure that you [investors] tell us that if you’re going to employ a thousand persons and you’re benefiting from a piece of legislation like this, 10 per cent of those who you are employing are persons with disabilities,” he said.

Senator Hill assured, while closing the debate, that “there is no question about employing persons with disabilities”.

A similar commitment was given by minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator Audrey Marks, during her contribution to the debate.

Marks has responsibility for efficiency, innovation and digital transformation.