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DECLINE IN POVERTY  

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Kingston, Jamaica, May 21, 2025 – Jamaica’s poverty prevalence for 2023 was estimated at 8.2 per cent, a decline from 16.7 per cent in 2021.

Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Director General, Dr. Wayne Henry, disclosed that it was “the lowest figure ever recorded since poverty rates were first measured in 1989”.

Addressing the PIOJ’s quarterly briefing on Wednesday (May 21), in Kingston, he said the estimates were computed from the Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (JSLC) data collected by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).

The Director General advised that data prior to 2012 should not be compared with data for 2012 to 2023.

“In 2018, STATIN revised the sample design and weighting methodology applied to the JSLC sample. The 2012 to 2017 data have since been revised to account for these changes to facilitate comparability with 2018 and subsequent years,” he explained.

Additionally, he shared that no poverty estimate is available for 2022, as the JSLC was not conducted that year due to the initiation of the National Population and Housing Census.

Dr. Henry pointed out that in 2012, poverty in Jamaica was 19.7 per cent, meaning nearly one in every five Jamaicans was consuming below the poverty line.

Since then, he said poverty rates have trended downwards, except in 2021, when it spiked to 16.7 per cent, likely due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area, poverty fell from 10.4 per cent in 2021 to three per cent in 2023… .  In Other Urban Centres, the rate declined to nine per cent from 15.5 per cent in 2021,” he detailed.

Meanwhile, in Rural Areas, which historically experience the highest rates of poverty, the rate dropped from 22.1 per cent to 11.5 per cent.

The Director General reasoned that the decline in the poverty rate was driven by several factors, which included increases in the national minimum wage, Jamaica’s recovery from COVID-19, improved macroeconomic stability, increased employment and strengthening of social protection programmes.

“Vital support was through the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), the Social Pension Programme, Poor Relief Programme and targeted interventions aimed at generating youth employment and encouraging small-scale agriculture,” he said.

He also shared that remittances continue to be an important source of household income, highlighting that in 2023, net remittance inflows totalled US$3.4 billion.

The Director General explained that while this represented a decline compared with the peak levels recorded during the pandemic, nearly half of all Jamaican households reported receiving remittances in 2023, which often bolster household resilience, especially among lower-income families.

“In addition to this national decline in poverty, there was a reduction in food poverty, also referred to as extreme poverty. In the Jamaican context, food poverty refers to the inability of a household to afford the minimum daily caloric intake required for good health. In 2023, the food poverty rate fell to 2.8 per cent, down from 5.8 per cent in 2021 and four per cent in 2019, marking the lowest level on record,” Dr. Henry added.

The poverty estimate for 2024 will be provided later this year once the JSLC data is received from STATIN.

 

Contact: Judana Murphy

Release: JIS

Photo Caption: Director General, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wayne Henry (left), addresses Wednesday’s (May 21) Quarterly Press Briefing at the PIOJ’s Oxford Road offices in Kingston. Listening is Director, Policy Research Unit, Suzette Johnson.

PHOTOGRAPHER: MARK BELL

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Mottley Sworn in After Historic Clean Sweep in Barbados Election

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Barbados, February 12, 2026 – Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley was this afternoon officially sworn in for a third consecutive term, hours after delivering one of the most emphatic election victories in Caribbean political history — another complete capture of all 30 seats in Barbados’ House of Assembly.

The ceremony, conducted by President His Excellency Lt. Col. The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, marked the formal start of a new administration following the February 11, 2026 general election, which returned the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) to power with a renewed and overwhelming mandate.

In a statement after taking the oath, Mottley said she accepted the responsibility “with humility and resolve,” thanking the people of Barbados for placing their trust in her leadership once again and urging national unity as her government begins its new term. Attorney Wilfred Abrahams was also sworn in as Attorney General.

The result is historic not only for its scale but for its consistency. This is the third straight general election in which the BLP has won every constituency, reinforcing Mottley’s dominance in national politics and extending an unmatched era of one-party control in the modern democratic period.

Voting day unfolded under the watch of a CARICOM Election Observation Mission, led by Antigua and Barbuda’s Supervisor of Elections Ian Hughes and supported by senior electoral officials from Belize and Jamaica. The team engaged key institutions ahead of the poll and monitored the process across the island.

Regional leaders were swift in their congratulations.

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali described the outcome as “emphatic and historic,” saying the clean sweep reflected how deeply Mottley’s leadership has connected with Barbadians and expressing optimism about strengthening ties between the two countries.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness also hailed the victory, noting that her re-election provides an opportunity to deepen cooperation within CARICOM and advance shared regional priorities.

The scale of the win again leaves Barbados without a parliamentary opposition, a reality that has become a defining feature of the political landscape since 2018. Supporters argue the repeated mandate reflects public confidence in Mottley’s stewardship of economic reform, climate diplomacy, the transition to a republic, and Barbados’ expanding global influence.

Now, newly sworn in and backed by another unanimous parliamentary majority, Mottley begins a third term with both extraordinary political capital and equally high expectations at home and across the region.

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Liberty Caribbean Committed to ‘Elevating Region’ at CANTO  

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Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad & Tobago

Liberty Caribbean is Diamond Sponsor of CANTO Connect 2026 and 42nd AGM

 

Port of Spain, TRININDAD & TOBAGO (February 1, 2026) — Liberty Caribbean, the operators of Flow. Liberty Business and BTC, has reaffirmed its commitment to turning regional connectivity into measurable economic and social outcomes as Diamond Sponsor of CANTO Connect 2026 and its 42nd Annual General Meeting.

CANTO is the leading regional body that brings together telecommunications operators, ICT providers, regulators, governments, and industry partners to support the development of the Caribbean’s digital and communications landscape.

Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad & Tobago delivered the sponsor’s address on behalf of Liberty Caribbean.

“The work of laying fibre and lighting towers is done; connectivity is now our foundation,” she said.

“The real task before us is to translate that foundation into innovation, productivity and prosperity for our people. Intelligent connectivity, such as networks designed for 5G, AI and IoT, will be the platform for smarter public services, more resilient systems and scaled opportunities for Caribbean entrepreneurs.”

Martin-Sulgan emphasised that infrastructure alone will not deliver sustainable progress.

“Digital progress must become digital prosperity. That means creating career pathways for young people, helping local businesses scale and ensuring citizens across our communities can fully participate in the digital economy. A connected Caribbean should also be a confident, creative and globally competitive Caribbean,” she said.

Liberty Caribbean is represented by a senior delegation at CANTO Connect to support the conference objectives of aligning policy, investment and execution across the region under this year’s theme ‘Elevate the Caribbean – From Connectivity to Global Competitiveness’.

Liberty Caribbean’s delegation includes Inge Smidts, Chief Executive Officer; Desron Bynoe, VP and General Manager, Flow Barbados; Susanna O’Sullivan, VP and General Manager, North Caribbean; Marilyn Sealy, Senior Director, Head of Communications; Dominic Boon, VP, People; Daniel Neiva, Chief Commercial Officer, B2B; Bradley Ramcharan, Director, B2B, Trinidad & Tobago; Yolande Headley, Country Manager, Dutch East Caribbean; and Jade Reymond, Country Manager, Flow Anguilla.

Martin-Sulgan thanked CANTO’s local secretariat for convening the forum and urged delegates to convert conversation into action.

“If we align policy, capital and capability, the Caribbean can move from connectivity to competitiveness. Liberty Caribbean will continue to invest in resilient networks, nurture homegrown talent and partner to deliver measurable social and economic value across our markets,” she said.

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Adam Stewart named CNW’s Businessman/Philanthropist of the Year for 2025

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Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts, Adam Stewart, has been named Businessman/Philanthropist of the Year for 2025 by the regional news publication, Caribbean National Weekly (CNW).

The publication recognised Stewart for his leadership in hospitality, his ongoing investments in regional tourism, his steady crisis response and his philanthropic work throughout what it described as a year filled with both remarkable achievements and significant challenges.

CNW highlighted how 2025 saw industry recognition for Stewart, major announcements of multimillion‑dollar developments across his all‑inclusive luxury resort brands and an invitation to join the prestigious Wall Street Journal CEO Council.

But the publication said his impact extended well beyond business milestones.

“In 2025, the Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts didn’t just guide his iconic hospitality empire through crisis – he used its scale and influence to help shape Jamaica’s rebound and lay groundwork for future regional growth,” CNW wrote.

The defining moment, it said, came in late October when Hurricane Melissa caused severe damage to parts of Jamaica’s tourism infrastructure. Stewart responded by leading transparent communication with global travel advisors, partners and team members, and made a landmark pledge, that 100 per cent of Sandals and Beaches employees would remain on payroll and receive Christmas bonuses, even at resorts temporarily closed for extensive restoration and upgrades. The company also committed more than US$3 million in staff recovery aid, providing direct support to families affected by the storm.

CNW further highlighted the work of the Sandals Foundation under Stewart’s guidance, noting record levels of community engagement and targeted disaster‑recovery support in healthcare, livelihoods and the environment.

In response to the honour, Stewart said he was “deeply humbled” to receive the Businessman/Philanthropist of the Year recognition and expressed his gratitude to his teams and partners for their dedication during an extraordinary year.

“This award reflects far more than any one individual. It is a direct result of people showing up every day for their communities and believing business is a force for good. It belongs to the extraordinary teams who carry our shared vision forward – especially the Sandals Foundation, whose work continues to create lasting change across education, health care, disaster relief and environmental stewardship,” Stewart stated.

“To every colleague and partner who helps bring this mission to life – thank you for your commitment, heart and belief.”

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