the gleaner, wednesday, february 25, 2015...
TRANSCRIPT
McPherse ThompsonAssistant Editor – Business
THE PLANNING Instituteof Jamaica (PIOJ) hasconfirmed that there was
a 0.3 per cent contraction in theeconomy during the October toDecember 2014 quarter, thesecond consecutive period ofdecline.
The contraction is expected topush real gross domesticproduct (GDP) growth for fiscalyear 2014-15 within a range ofzero to one per cent, even as thePIOJ projects economic growthof 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per centfor the January to March 2015quarter.
PIOJ Director General ColinBullock said the performancelargely reflected lower valueadded for the goods -producingindustry due to lagged impact ofdrought conditions specificallyon agriculture.
It also represented lower-than-anticipated alumina productiondue to technical challenges,longer-than-anticipated closure ofthe Petrojam oil refineryand slower-than-anticipatedimplementation of public- andprivate-sector constructionprojects.
“Despite these challenges,developments in the globaleconomy positively impactedseveral aspects of the domesticeconomy,” Bullock said.
“Strengthening of growth inthe economies of our maintrading partners resulted in highremittance inflows andincreased demand for somegoods and services, in particulartourism,” the director generaltold a press briefing in NewKingston yesterday as hereviewed the economicperformance for the quarter toDecember 2014.
The goods-producing industrycontracted by 3.7 per cent, with allindustries, except construction,registering declines in real valueadded during the review quarter,he said.
“This performance largelyreflected the impact of droughtconditions and plant downtime,as well as technical challengesexperienced at some industrialplants,” he said.
Agriculture, forestry andfishing declined by an estimated11 per cent relative to thecorresponding quarter of 2013.
However, Bullock was bullishon the short-term prospects forthe Jamaican economy forJanuary to March 2015, notingthat the positive assessment wasbased on the continuedstrengthening of productionactivities, particularly in thegoods-producing industries.
“Return to growth is expectedfor the agriculture and
manufacturing industries, whilecontinued strengthening isprojected for the constructionindustry,” he said, adding thatthe services industry was alsoexpected to record growth.
Supporting their expectation,he said, was that they hadpreliminary data on tourismindicating that airport arrivalsand cruise passenger arrivals forJanuary 2015 grew by seven percent and 11.5 per cent,respectively.
“The anticipated strengtheningof confidence levels and greaterstability in the macro-economicenvironment are also expected tocontribute to the resumption ofgrowth,” the director generalsaid.
In addition, greater stability inthe economy has been reflected indeflation of 0.5 per cent forJanuary 2015, the main driversduring January being lowerinternational crude oil prices ondomestic energy and transportationcosts, as well as the increasedsupply of vegetables in the fooddivision of the consumer priceindex.
But Bullock pointed out that“these growth-inducing factorshave been partially counteractedby public-sector capitalexpenditure contraction for thefirst three quarters of the fiscalyear 2014-15.”
According to the PIOJ,Jamaica also recorded deflation
– a reduction in the All JamaicaConsumer Price Index – of 0.8per cent during the quarterunder review.
Deflationary pressuresemanated mainly from reducedprices in the food and non-alcoholic beverages divisions,down 0.5 per cent; housing,water, electricity, gas and otherfuels, down 4.5 per cent; andtransport, down 1.7 per cent.
Lower prices for the quarterreflected an increase inagriculture supply subsequent tosevere drought conditionsduring June and July 2014 andthe pass-through effect of lowerglobal crude oil prices.
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0.5%
IMF-JamaicaCalendar
2015
MMaarr 2233 Seventh test results and
SDR distribution.
Full implementation of the
elimination of applying the
GCT for government pur-
chases (except for pur-
chases by public schools).
Improving large taxpayer
administration through
increasing the number of
staff in the large taxpayers
office by a further 30
auditors.
Achieving 95 per cent take
up rate of e-filing and
e-payment in the larger tax-
payers office.
Writing off all general
consumption tax and
special consumption tax
debts that have been
subjected to risk-rated
stress tests and conse-
quently categorised as
uncollectible in accor-
dance with the regulations.
A new procurement
manual will be prepared.
THIS WEEK’S
BIGNUMBER:
THE GLEANER, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
The Statistical Instituteof Jamaica reports that
for January 2015 theAll Jamaica ‘All
Divisions’ ConsumerPrice Index was 223.0,indicating a fall of 0.5per cent. This is the
third consecutivemonthly decline in the
inflation rate forJamaica.
Weak economic performancepushes GDP lower
GLADSTONE TAYLOR / PHOTOGRAPHER
James Stewart (left) director, Economic Planning, Research and Policy Logistics Division at the Planning Institute ofJamaica (PIOJ); Collin Bullock, director general; and Richard Lumsden, deputy director General, Economic, Planningand Policy Ligistics Division at the PIOJ, at the quarterly press briefing at the PIOJ, New Kingston, yesterday.
INVITATION TO TENDER
TENDER T00881 – MINING AND HAULING OFGYPSUM FROM HALBERSTADT QUARRY
Jamaica Gypsum and Quarries Limited, a subsidiary of CaribbeanCement Company Limited, seeks the services of a contractor for themining and hauling of Gypsum at Halberstadt Quarry in Bull Bay.
Interested bidders may download the tender documents andinstructions from the Companyʼs website www.caribcement.com/news
SITE VISIT/PRE-BID MEETINGA site visit/pre-bid meeting will be scheduled as follows:Thursday – February 26, 2015, 10:00 a.m.
Interested persons should send an email [email protected] to register for the site visit.
SUBMISSIONProposals should be submitted in a sealed envelope no later than2:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, 2015 addressed to:
Tender T00881 – Mining and hauling of Gypsum from HalberstadtQuarry
The SecretaryManagement Tenders Committee
Caribbean Cement Company LimitedRockfortKingston 2
CARIBBEAN CEMENTCOMPANY LIMITEDRequest for Proposals (RFP)
CONTRACTOR - Construction of Community Resource Centers (CRC)
The Community Empowerment and Transformation (COMET II) Project, funded by the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Tetra Tech DPK (Tt DPK), solicits
proposals to develop and install Community Resource Centers (CRC) in up to 25 selected communities
throughout Jamaica. The development and installation of CRCs will occur using a phased approach
and it is contemplated that 5 communities will receive a CRC in the initial phase. The CRCs will be
made from retrofitted sea containers and customized to include basic operational and access
functions and environmental features such as piping for rainwater harvesting and solar panels.
COMET II Description:COMET II is a five-year USAID-funded project, as a follow-on to COMET (2006-2012). COMET II will
strengthen community and civil society organizations, increase citizen cooperation and
accountability, strengthen juvenile justice and youth at-risk programs, and further support
community-based policing practices. The project also supports improvements in the adaptive
capacity of communities to prepare for the impacts of extreme weather events and to address global
climate change adaptation issues. It also advances other cross-cutting development themes
including gender equity, disability rights, and responsiveness to the needs of vulnerable populations,
by integrating specific targeted interventions across the wider suite of programmatic activities.
COMET II will implement its activities in 25 Community Renewal Program (CRP) communities
which fall within five selected parishes of Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon, and St.
James.
Request for Proposals (RFP) Documents:The RFP documents may be obtained at the COMET II offices at The Courtleigh Corporate Centre,
2nd Floor, 6-8 St. Lucia Avenue, Kingston 5 or by emailing [email protected]
Eligibility Criteria:Applications will only be considered where:
• Applicants are registered by the Company’s Office of Jamaica
• Proof of Registration with the National Contracts Commission Rating and proof of certified
staff with HEART NVQ-J certification, or have similar accreditations.
• Proof of limited liability insurance.
Timetable and Deadline:Applications, including budgets and work plans, must be submitted in Microsoft Word and Excel
format to email address: [email protected] by April 10, 2015 5:00 p.m. (application
deadline). Applications may also be delivered in a sealed envelope clearly marked,
‘RFA - CONTRACTOR - Community Resource Centers’ to the COMET II office located at 6-8 St
Lucia Avenue, c/o The Courtleigh Corporate Centre, Kingston 5. Envelopes should be placed in the
tender box located in The Courtleigh Corporate Centre lobby.