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JAMAICA: All Ministers Must Have Customer Service Improvement Plans by April

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#Jamaica, February 16, 2018 – Kingston – All ministries must have customer service improvement plans in place by the end of April 2018 as mandated by the Public Sector Transformation and Modernization Programme.  The aim is to reduce waste, save money and make the public institutions more efficient and effective for those who need them.

The plans are a priority of the Service Excellence Programme (SEP), which falls under the ambit of Thematic Area 1 of the Public Sector Transformation and Modernization Programme, entitled ‘Trade and Investment Facilitation and Service Excellence’.  This is also one of the goals of Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development Plan, which calls for professionalism and efficient service delivery in all public-sector institutions.

Modernization Specialist in the Public Sector Transformation and Modernization Division (PSTMD), Office of the Cabinet, Michele Gordon-Somers, tells JIS News that the plans are a critical part of the Service Excellence Policy being developed by the Cabinet Office.

“All ministries must conduct customer service assessments, they must speak with their customers, they must have plans developed and they must report their achievements against their plans,” she emphasizes.cairsea INSERT FIX

The proposed policy will set out the core principles, values, standards, strategies, accountability mechanism, continuous improvement frameworks and service delivery options that will promote and institutionalize service excellence to facilitate consistency in service quality across government.

Last year, the PSTMD engaged technocrats in the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as from civil society and the private sector at Service Excellence Visioning Workshops, aimed at identifying strategies and actions to get to the supreme form of service excellence in the public sector.

Recently, the Cabinet Office and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) signed a memorandum of understanding signalling the commencement of a partnership between the two organisations to promote service excellence in the public and private sectors and increase awareness of customer service issues nationally.

Mrs. Gordon-Somers says that some ministries have named customer service improvement teams and are conducting customer service readiness assessments, which will guide the development of customer service improvement plans.

“The information that comes out of the assessments will be used to feed into developing customer service improvement plans, and it is expected that the whole area of customer service will be looked at in a comprehensive way, and then these plans will be implemented with short-, medium- and long-term measures incorporated within those plans,” she explains.

Mrs. Gordon-Somers notes that the PSTMD has been conducting workshops with service improvement teams “to sensitive them about the Service Excellence Programme”.  The Modernization Specialist says ministries will develop their plans before focusing on their respective agencies and departments.

“So, all the agencies and departments under their portfolios, they will assist them through the same process, in terms of developing their service-improvement plans and reporting on their achievements against those plans on a quarterly basis,” she tells JIS News.

Mrs. Gordon-Somers says that in the past, ministries only focused on frontline customers regarding customer-service improvement, adding that other areas should be addressed, such as business processes, engagement of customers, the handling of complaints, customer feedback and “ensuring that service improvement planning is a critical part of general operational planning”.

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Another component of the SEP at ministries is the development of citizens’ charters.  According to Mrs. Gordon-Somers, a citizen’s charter is a contract between ministries and their customers, which outlines the strategies to improve customer service at the entities.

“We expect all ministries will have a citizen’s charter, or those who already have will update their document,” she says.

Mrs. Gordon-Somers stresses that charters that are posted on the websites of ministries should also be displayed in the lobby areas and hard copies made available for customers who may request them.

Meanwhile, Senior Director, Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Sandra Senior Brown, tells JIS News that a citizen’s charter/customer service improvement team is in place at the super ministry.  She said the entity is looking at various technological initiatives, “to enable our internal customers to be better able to carry out their functions”.

The Ministry, which was created in March 2016 and charged with the responsibility for seven critical portfolios – land, environment, climate change, investment, water and wastewater, housing and works – has oversight for 48 agencies.

“We at the Ministry see it as a critical need to have this customer service improvement programme implemented, based on our mandate of ensuring that we meet the business needs of Jamaica as well as the needs of our internal stakeholders,” she says.

Mrs. Brown, who is overseeing the implementation of the Ministry’s modernisation initiatives, says “customers are demanding more and they want better quality and a higher standard of service”.

“We want to ensure that customers are able to access certain services and there is ease in doing so. Our website will be instrumental in that regard,” she tells JIS News.  “We have over 46 agencies, so we definitely want to be one of the front runners where implementation of this Service Excellence Programme is concerned,” she adds.

By: Elaine Hartman Reckord

Release: JIS

 

 

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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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