Fifteen of the 18 Cabinet members who were sworn in on Wednesday retained their previous portfolios and have expressed gratitude for the prime minister’s renewed confidence in their ability to continue serving.

Describing their reappointments as a vote of trust in their work, they pledged to build on past achievements, drive further growth, and tackle new challenges.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon said that she had no expectations of being reinstated, noting that the prime minister could have assigned her to any other portfolio. Nevertheless, she was thankful for the opportunity to continue leading the ministry and said she was eager to implement the many plans outlined in the Jamaica Labour Party election manifesto.

“If you look into our manifesto, one of the key components of us getting that elusive economic growth that we’ve spoken about for so long is through the transformation of our education sector. So in it, we talk about how we’re going to transform education, starting at the base with early childhood education, also looking at how we deal with our children with special needs and having special facilities for them, to how we teach boys and also how we administer schools, the governance process, and in addition to that, looking at how we can empower our teachers,” said Morris Dixon.

The minister, though intent on maintaining continuity, said she was excited for the many new plans and legislation to be implemented over the next five years. She shared that as a mother of a child with special needs, she understood the urgent need for initiatives that support both children and educators in that area.

“There’s some legislation that’s been in the works for a long time that we need to do and we’ve not been able to do, like the Adoption Act, and we need to make sure that that is done. There are all the exciting things in there, especially for our children with special needs. As a mother with a child with special needs, those are very important, and I understand the plight of so many families in that, and that’s really very important work for us to do,” she said.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange was also grateful for the opportunity to continue serving.

Grange, who has been Member of Parliament for St Catherine Central since 1997, and has served in the Cabinet at various times, has signalled that this was her final term. However, she said that her work is not yet done.

“There is unfinished work, and I’m hoping to complete most of it, initiate some very critical and strategic programmes, projects and actions, that when I leave, I would have set a foundation that will have a tremendous impact on the lives of Jamaicans,” said Grange.

She added that she was pleased with the service she has given to Jamaica thus far, and was looking forward to ending her time in Jamaican politics on a high note.

“I feel like I’ve been in politics and serving all my life. As a youngster I was always part of a youth organisation, and so on. So I’ve been serving since I was very young, and I know in the third term of this Administration led by Dr Andrew Holness, and having served as minister over the years, I, at this time, am happy that I’ve been able to lead the charge in the ministry and have been able to get good results and institute programmes and projects and policies that have benefited the country,” she said.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams said she was grateful to the prime minister for acknowledging her competence in handling the country’s fiscal affairs.

“I thank the prime minister for his faith and confidence in me, for returning me to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service. I look forward to continuing working there. There are great plans for this country based on the ASPIRE programme that the prime minister rolled out — great plans for growth. Of course, we will continue to ensure that there is fiscal prudence going forward,” said Williams.

She added that one of her biggest goals is to see Jamaica’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased and to see more Jamaicans being able to have access to more goods and services.

“We have to move beyond the kind of GDP growth that we’ve seen in the past to get higher levels because we know that that will allow us to provide more services for the people of Jamaica. And so, that is going to occupy quite a bit of my time,” said Williams.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who is also nearing the end of his political career, said that he will be placing greater emphasis on having more trained people and creating more ways to boost the attractiveness of Jamaica’s tourism sector to both investors and the Jamaican people.

“Certainly there will be great emphasis on human capital development, which has been a feature of our programme, but it will take on new dimensions as we seek to professionalise the industry, to create more qualified workers within the industry and to change the labour market arrangements,” he said.

Bartlett said that he was confident that once the tourism sector experienced immense growth, so would the pockets of Jamaicans.

“So the idea is to really build capacity among Jamaicans to respond to the demand, the consumption patterns of tourism. If we are able to do that, then the wealth of tourism will stay in the pockets of Jamaicans,” he said.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia “Babsy” Grange has a word with Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett at Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony of the new Cabinet at King’s House in St Andrew. (Photos: Joseph Wellington)