#KINGSTON, April 28 (JIS): Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has announced the establishment of a Cabinet-approved multisectoral task force to oversee Jamaica’s economic recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Speaking at a digital media briefing at
the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Monday (April 27), Mr. Holness said
the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force will be chaired by Minister of
Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, who is one of
several Cabinet members on the team.
The others are Minister of Industry,
Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw; Minister of Tourism,
Hon. Edmund Bartlett; Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval
Williams; and Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and
Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz.
Other stakeholder members are Port Authority
of Jamaica (PAJ) President and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Gordon
Shirley; National Road Operating and Constructing Company Chief Executive
Officer, Ivan Anderson; Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ)
President, Keith Duncan; Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) President, Lloyd
Distant Jr.; Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (JMEA) President,
Richard Pandohie; and Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President, Omar
Robinson.
Also on the Task Force are MSME Alliance
President, Donovan Wignall; Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) President,
Helene Davis-White; Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) President, Lenworth
Fulton; Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) President,
Gloria Henry; former PSOJ Presidents, Joseph M. Matalon, Christopher Zacca, and
William Mahfood; gender activist, Nadine Spence; hotelier, Adam Stewart; tourism
attractions operator, John Byles; and member of Partnership for Jamaica,
Professor Alvin Wint.
Mr. Holness said the Task Force’s
establishment follows Cabinet deliberations over the past two weeks on
Jamaica’s recovery from the prevailing and projected economic fallout from
COVID-19.
This, he noted, has become imperative in
light of the fact that “every measure that the Government has put in place to
slow down movement [and further spread of the virus]… every curfew measure,
every stay-at-home measure… slows down our economy”.
“It means that people will be out of
work and out of a job [and] out of income…. frustration grows and then people [will
eventually] say [that] the medicine is worse than the illness,” the Prime
Minister said.
As
such, Mr. Holness emphasised that “we have to figure out how to put in place
measures that slow and control the [COVID-19] spread… whilst, at the same time,
not doing irreparable damage to our economy”.
Against this background, he praised the private
sector for being “an outstanding partner” and “very forthcoming” in wanting to
be a part of the national recovery planning and efforts.
This, Mr. Holness noted, through the
provision of resources and other forms of support to many Jamaicans, citing
their involvement and pivotal role in the national partnership mechanism,
Partnership for Jamaica.
“Last week, I had a discussion with the Partnership
for Jamaica… and they too have said that they would want to play a critical
role. So, the Cabinet has decided to put that mechanism together… now [that]
we’re going to be shifting some attention to the economic recovery,” the Prime
Minister said.
Mr. Holness said, however, that the Task
Force’s engagements will have to be done in conjunction with the Ministry of Health
and Wellness.
This, he indicated, “because all the
economic activities that we are going to do should be viewed through the prism
of the Ministry”.
In his remarks, Dr. Clarke said he is “highly
confident” that the Task Force “will be able to put together the contours
around Jamaica’s economic recovery”.
Reiterating the health and economic
impact and implications associated with COVID-19, he emphasised that “we want
to make sure that the decisions that are made… don’t have long-term or
permanent economic damage”.
“We want to ensure that we can always
recover economically… even [as] we [are instituting measures] to deal with the
health effect of the crisis,” the Minister said.
Additionally, Dr. Clarke said “we want
to position ourselves to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that a
post-covid-19 global economy offers as well as to ensure that we take account
of the realities of post-covid-19”.