Owen Arthur to address social partnership retreat

Former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur will speak about Barbados' social partnership experience during the Partnership of Jamaica Retreat tomorrow at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in St Andrew.

The retreat, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, is the second since Jamaica's partnership agreement was signed by the Government, trade unions, the private sector, and civil society in July 2013.

Barbados, which signed its first partnership agreement in 1993 when it faced a severe economic crisis, has often been cited as a social partnership model. That country's longest-serving prime minister will review the Barbadian partnership experience over several agreements and will lead discussions on possible lessons for Jamaica.

Simpson Miller will give the opening address at the one-day retreat.

President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica William Mahfood will provide the private sector perspective on 'Doing Business', while Howard Mitchell, of the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association, will address 'Energy Diversification and Conservation'. Chairman of the Electricity Sector Enterprise Team Vin Lawrence will also provide an update to the retreat.