Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that boosting productivity is a top priority for the Government this year as a pathway to sustainable growth and prosperity for all citizens.
He made the declaration while addressing a recent meeting with the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast Committee at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston.
“In 2025, we are going to be laser-focused on productivity… . This is critically important for the next phase of development,” he said.
The prime minister outlined a multifaceted approach to enhancing productivity, which entails improving regulatory environments, enhancing labour force training, and expanding agricultural output.
Holness said that the Government will work towards simplifying regulatory frameworks to facilitate easier production processes, and efforts will be focused on improving training programmes for workers to boost efficiency and output.
Recognising agriculture’s crucial role, Holness stressed the need to rapidly expand production to stabilise food prices and enhance consumer affordability.
The prime minister called for collaboration with various sectors, including religious organisations, to foster a culture of productivity, which, he noted, is critical in combatting inflation and improving the living standard of all Jamaicans.
He noted that while the conversation around productivity often centres on remuneration, wage increases are insufficient to sustain improved purchasing power.
“What keeps your purchasing power is an increase in output and the rate at which that output is increased,” he pointed out.
“The cost of living begins to moderate when you are producing more…; if you want to moderate and keep down the basic food items that you produce, then you have to increase the output.
“Once we do that, then you’re going to start to see an improvement in growth and a greater stabilisation in the cost of living,” he added.
