It’s good to see that the Jamaican economy is fast recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service disclosed recently that the economy is expected to record 5.1 per cent growth for the current...
Marlene Malahoo Forte and Rocky Meade, the joint leaders of the lawyer-laden committee that is to make suggestions for updating Jamaica’s Constitution, have three urgent tasks. First, they have to convince sceptical Jamaicans that they are not a...
There are those who argue that Jamaica has moved beyond prejudice based on race, leaving class prejudice as our principal national sin. We sociologists know differently. Skin colour and shade distinctions remain important markers of status in...
LAST WEEK, I wrote an article outlining how poor planning around communications possibly helped to exacerbate the collapse of two American banks two weeks ago, and implored banks and financial institutions here in Jamaica to prioritise crisis...
A RECENT report from the United Nations Economic and Social Council estimates that the value of unpaid care and domestic work ranges between 10 and 39 per cent of GDP. Unpaid care work includes the direct care of persons in one’s household, such as...
Few things in Edward Seaga’s political life pained him more than P.J. Patterson’s statement to a campaign crowd that if he descended the platform and moved among them no one could tell the difference. “Mr Seaga felt it was unkind because of all the...
Happily, Mark Golding has made it clear that the Opposition will not be party to the gutting of the Integrity Commission (IC). Instead, the People’s National Party (PNP) would back entrenching the commission in Jamaica’s Constitution, although Mr...
We are indeed living in interesting times. We are still dealing with the fall-out from the global pandemic; a war is still raging in Europe; inflation remains a concern; we just had the Sino-Russia Summit aimed at strengthening this alliance; a...
Gene Autry, The Beast and I were sitting around the domino table hoping to scrounge up a fourth. Haemorrhoid, whose nickname was based on frequent complaints about “piles and piles” of files on his desk, was present but knew not dominoes which he...
Last week, World Athletics banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events. As of March 31, no transgender athlete who has gone through male puberty will be permitted to compete in female world-ranking...
Anyone who is keen for integrity in public life and in ensuring that there is institutional restraint on impunity in grabbing the national silverware ought to pay attention to the parliamentary committee reviewing the Integrity Commission Act. They...
The removal of fees for students enrolled in technical and vocational training courses run by the government’s training agency, HEART/ NSTA Trust, will be widely popular, including, we expect, with employers who regularly face a shortage of...
If there is one Jamaican white man to whom the term Massa does not apply, it is Mark Golding. Anyone who knows him will attest to that. Nigel made a mistake last week which has backfired badly. It was unworthy of someone as cultured and gracious as...
Despite the Government’s efforts, there remains a critical shortage of jurors. Over the years, I have witnessed the reactions of many citizens who are called for jury duty. Except for the few who are easily able and very willing to serve as jurors...
There are times when one gets an extra ‘A’ and instead of it improving the quality of one’s degree, it actually drops them into deep hot water. Last week in Parliament it was once again a display of what was worst among us. I cannot speak for the...
In the time spent walking among the people I hope to represent, I have learned so much from their personal experiences that it gives me a new understanding on the subjectivity of “doing the right thing”. Not to say that I grew up privileged, or...
The countries of the Caribbean are not among the world’s big emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other greenhouse gases that heat the earth and cause climate change. Indeed, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the economic group of the 15 countries...
Prime Minister Andrew Holness made an emotional public declaration last October. He was practically in tears. It was at the end of his speech at the handing over ceremony for the Roseneath Park housing development in St Catherine. He was no...
Three weeks ago, I like so many others read The Gleaner’s (March 6) report of the Don Anderson poll, “An Overwhelming Number of Jamaicans believe that both the Government and Opposition are Underperforming in their Respective Capacities”. The Blue...
Imagine India in the 19th century, a proud civilisation festered with the maggots of colonialism eating into its very spiritual and economic core. So great was the pain that Indians, even with the medieval religious taboo of crossing the high seas...
Jamaicans should be vigilant against an emerging political coalition at Gordon House to defang the Integrity Commission (IC), thus making it useless against marauding public officials. The first step in the IC’s weakening, it seems, is a cross-...
Remembering Evan Jones and my days watching the ships in many Caribbean islands being loaded at the wharves. Mr King, our Standard Three teacher and an actor from the far-off city of Port-of-Spain, tried very hard to teach us the English...
You will not be surprised if I take an interest in the environmental content in the recent marathon contribution of Prime Minister Holness to the 2023 Budget Debate. Our first prime minister born after Great Britain cut us loose has wanted a...
Angela Brown Burke, the shadow labour minister and member of parliament for St Andrew South West, must be appropriately reprimanded for her unparliamentary language and open defiance of Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert in the House on Tuesday. At...
Political apathy in Jamaica, like many other countries, is commonplace and widening. One can reasonably conclude that this is somewhat entrenched due, in part, to the lethargic way in which many politicians implement their responsibilities and the...
