PM Holness expected to outline priorities of third term in inaugual address

 

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness is expected to deliver a speech that will seek to build confidence in the institutions of the state when he makes his inaugural address after he is sworn in for a third consecutive term on Tuesday afternoon. 

 

This is according to political commentator Germaine Barrett, who says Dr. Holness will restate his commitments to tackling areas such as crime, corruption and inclusive growth. 

 

Dr. Holness will receive the instrument of office from Governor General Sir Patrick Allen at a ceremony scheduled for 4 p.m. at King's House. 

 

This will be his fourth time being sworn in as Prime Minister, having first taken the office in 2011 following the resignation of former Prime Minister Bruce Golding. 

 

Looking ahead with the Radio Jamaica News on Monday, Mr. Barrett said focus will be on the Integrity Commission and Jamaican Constabulary Force, which have faced significant public backlash.

 

"Because of the ongoing saga surrounding corruption and just questioning even the data coming from STATIN and so forth, so all our national institutions have been assaulted and attacked, if you will, coming out of the election cycle that just ended. And so now is the time for the Prime Minister to reset and recalibrate and to refocus Jamaicans on having confidence in these institutions. But moreover, for him to establish categorically that he is not going to be tolerating corruption or acts of malfeasance," reasoned the commentator.  

 

Mr. Barrett said he expects that the Prime Minister will also speak extensively on the growth agenda. 

 

"The macroeconomic indicators of the country are trending in the right direction, crime is going down and so forth. But now he has to commit himself and his administration to deepening the impact of those gains so that people will feel them in a material way in their lived experiences. It is going to be pivoting towards that as he would have spoken in his economic statement a few months ago. And then of course, matters surrounding infrastructure development, matters surrounding job creation and so forth are all still relevant, and he will reiterate his government's commitment to addressing these pain points," he suggested.