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NOVEMBER 4, 2016
Press Statement from JCC President Warren McDonald - October 28, 2016
The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce has responded to recent speculation regarding the staging of Local Government Elections by reminding the JLP administration of its pre-General Elections undertaking to push for certain legislative changes impacting national governance.
JCC President Warren McDonald noted that in the 2016/2017 Throne Speech, the JLP administration expressed its intention to amend the Constitution so as to replace the Queen of England as head of state with a non-executive president; to institute fixed election dates; and to establish Prime Ministerial term limits.
Urging quick and decisive action on those commitments, Mr. McDonald reiterated the earlier calls of the JCC for:
Bringing greater certainty in the economic planning process by moving to fixed election dates. He noted that while the last general election took place in February 2016, the country had been on virtual election watch since mid-2015 as a result of statements by senior officials of the then PNP administration. That, he insisted is detrimental to the business planning process. Many countries that operate within the framework of the Westminster Model – even the UK – have put in place legislative measures to introduce fixed election dates.
Having joint general and local government elections. This, the JCC President notes, is a logical next step once fixed election dates are in place. Noting that despite their protestations to the contrary, there is every reason to believe that political parties have more often than not used the staging of local government elections as a means of testing their parties’ machinery and when it is expedient, postpone them under the guise of “unfinished local government reforms”. According to the EOJ, it is likely that the nation can save over $1 billion per election cycle if they are staged simultaneously.
Implementing Term Limits for Prime Ministers. Consideration should also be given to having term limits for Mayors at the local government level.
It is important, the JCC President noted, that the undertakings given in the governing party’s last Manifesto and reiterated in the Throne Speech, do not end up being mere empty promises to influence voting decisions, but that they be followed through as such action will help to restore and reinforce confidence in our political system.
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NOVEMBER 4, 2016
JLP and PNP Agree to JDC Organised Local Government Debates
In a Press Release on November 1, 2016 the Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) advised that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP) agreed to participate in two nationally televised, broadcasted and streamed local government debates to be organised by the Jamaica Debates Commission and staged between Nomination Day and Election Day when the elections are announced.
The agreement was reached at the offices of the JDC where the JLP was represented by Executive Director of the Party’s Secretariat Delroy H. Williams and Deputy General Secretary of the PNP, Julian Robinson.
The parties also agreed that the two debates will involve teams of three members each, with the three members being a mix of either Members of Parliament (House of Representatives or the Senate) or Local Government candidates.
Each debate will be for 90 minutes and will be moderated and have questions posed by a panel of journalists. This is the second time the JDC is staging Local Government debates as prior to the last parochial elections one team debate was staged at the Studios of the Creative Production and Training Centre, CPTC, in Kingston.
BUREAU OF STANDARDS CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON DRAFT JAMAICAN STANDARD
The Bureau of Standards Jamaica provides the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce copies of Draft Jamaican Standards, which are available to its members for their review and to submit their comments and feed-back. The draft standard was prepared by a Technical Committee comprising a wide cross section of stakeholders. It is being issued for public comment in keeping with the procedure for the promulgation of national standards.
The JCC wishes to advise that the following Draft Jamaican Standard has been made available for review: DJS112 Draft Jamaican Standard Methods for sampling and testing of Mineral aggregates, sands
and fillers - Part 3: Description and Classification
The period for public comment will end on December 26, 2016.
Companies wishing to receive a copy of the standard listed above may contact Melisha Douglas at the JCC Secretariat Tel: 922-0150 to request a soft copy. Hard copies will also be made available for a small fee. All comments are to be directed to the Executive Director, c/o Miss Phillipa O’Connor, Standards Development and Certification Officer, Standards Development and Certification Department, Bureau of Standards Jamaica, 6 Winchester Road, Kingston 10 or email: [email protected]
Pictured L-R: Delroy Williams, JLP; Noel daCosta, Chairman JDC; and Julian Robinson, PNP.
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NOVEMBER 4, 2016
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NOVEMBER 4, 2016
WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT? #13
Commentary by James Moss-Solomon, CD, JCC Past President - October 4, 2016
This is article number 13 and if you are superstitious you have only two choices; lucky for some or unlucky for others. This is the very situation regarding the passage of Hurricane Matthew, and the discussions and recriminations following a near miss. Depending on your level of responsibility there are so many responses that take absolutely no account of a near miss after sounding an alarm.
WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT? #14
Commentary by James Moss-Solomon, CD, JCC Past President - October 15, 2016
As a sequel to my previous comments on mixed signals with regard to business confidence and actual performance, the past week has brought some more confusion to the matters at hand. Let me try to highlight a few of these. The Government is congratulating themselves on the successful completion of another in the series of IMF calibrated performance tests. I used the plural as the previous government ran the longer distance (as in a medley relay), and the current government took the good decision to pursue the IMF prescription. So therefore each deserves the encomiums.
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NOTICE
The JCC Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at the Richmond
Park Great House (upstairs), 58 Half Way Tree Road, Kingston 10 at 10:30 a.m.
Kindly indicate your availability to attend by contacting the Secretariat at 922-0150~1 or emailing
[email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there!
RICHMOND PARK GREAT HOUSE 58 HALF WAY TREE ROAD, KINGSTON 10
Telephone: 922-0150 - 1 Fax: 924-9056
Email: [email protected] Webpage: www.jamaicachamber.org.jm
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