Progressive Agenda Launch Booklet PNP

transcript

PNP PROGRESSIVE AGENDA “BE THE BEST” 1

PNP BOOKLET DOC:Layout 1 8/7/11 12:09 PM Page 1

2 “BE THE BEST” PNP PROGRESSIVE AGENDA

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PNP................................................................................ 9-10

CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES............................................................ 26-27

THE ENERGY CHALLENGE.................................................................................... 28

BUILDING ACCESS TO THE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN.................................... 29

TAX REFORM.............................................................................................................. 30

THE PRIVATE SECTOR............................................................................................. 31

WORKERS.................................................................................................................... 31

THE BROADBAND PLATFORM FOR THE FUTURE.......................................... 32-33

CULTURAL DIVERSITY............................................................................................ 34

GENDER EQUITY....................................................................................................... 34

CRITICAL STAKEHOLDERS................................................................................... 35-38

CRTEATING NEW POSSIBILITIES........................................................................ 39-40

CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................. 41-42

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT............................................................................................ 43

August 2011

Finally, I wish to thank the numerous persons and rep-resentatives of organizations who attended seminarsand meetings throughout the island, as well as onlinecontributors, critiquing and making suggestions, inthe step by step development of this document

people centered development.

21st Century Mission Docu-

first decade of the 21st century

Jamaica’s poverty rates- Years 2007 to 2010

Jamaica’s Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) –Years 2007 to 2010

%Personslivingbelow

povertyline

Ja $ inBillions

The goal of this Progressive Agenda is, therefore, toachieve accelerated harmonious and sustainable development of Jamaica’s national economy.

It will be underpinned by five (5) pillars that willform the basis of the mix of policies for the nextPNP government.

facilitating accelerated and sustainable

FISCAL MANAGEMENT

As a matter of principle, the PNP is committed to introducing greater transparency to the manage-ment of the country’s finance and economic affairs. Historically, matters relating to the budget,the size of expenditures, spending priorities and the sources of revenue have been exclusively thepreserve of the Ministry of Finance and the Cabinet. Parliament’s role has been purely formal andhas been involved simply as a rubber stamp with little consideration of either spending prioritiesor revenue options and with little consultation of affected stakeholders.

Fiscal imbalances, persistent deficits and low-rates of growth in the national economy have been con-sequences of this over many years. In an effort to secure greater transparency, greater fiscal responsi-bility and greater levels of public accountability which is at the heart of good governance, the PNP willestablish an Estimates Committee in the Parliament, to have consideration of Expenditure priorities inthe context of a medium term economic framework. We will also ensure the effective functioning of aCommittee on Taxation in the Parliament able to consult with stakeholders in considering taxation policyand revenue raising measures.

Foreign Direct Investment- to achieve a successful foreign direct investment flow, we will ensure:• A harmonized domestic and foreign economic policy environment.• A safe, secure and business- friendly environment.• Proper promotion abroad, always including the Jamaican Diaspora.

Jamaica’s Cultural and Creative Industries -Entertainment, Sports, Culture Cultural and Creative Industries are important to nation building for two specific reasons: a. They engender a sense of pride, dignity and national identity b. They are critical aspects in achieving sustainable economic growth and development

The intangible processes of projecting, reflecting, archiving and showcasing elements of national identity,building national pride and demonstrating Jamaica’s cultural prowess are as important in the considera-tions of cultural and creative industries, as is the rising global market demand for cultural commodities.

The Party recognizes the tremendous importance of the creative talent and its cultural antecedence.In economic terms, demand for cultural products and services continues to rise steadily. This is particularlytrue with the entertainment and media industries. Estimates show that the cultural industries are worthUS$2.2 trillion growing at an annual rate of 5%.

These industries are immense, employing thousands of our people and are very significant contributorsto Gross Domestic Product. Further, they enhance the Jamaican brand and image of the country in a

positive way, helping to provide recognition and respect around the world. Additionally, they provide aplatform and open doors for the marketing of other Jamaican brands internationally.

The Party, as Government, will position Jamaica’s cultural and creative industries, including sports, aspriority industries, given their enormous potential for growth, export, employment, general economicdevelopment, and human resource development.

The Party, as government, will seek to develop modern cultural and creative industries policies, informedby research and analysis. It will adopt relevant examples, from the experiences of successful cultural andcreative industries in the global environment. It will take account of the global movement towards theconvergence and intersections in cultural, industrial, ICT, information policy that make up modern, con-verged cultural and creative industries policy. This will be done in order to develop a model that is cul-turally-specific and suitable for the development of Jamaica’s cultural and creative industries.

This process will include the classification of industries in Jamaica that are deemed cultural and or creativeand the establishment of a comprehensive schedule of the categories and components of these industries.

Where appropriate, Government will assist, support or directly facilitate the further development of theseindustries through a number of strategies, chief of which is the establishment of a Cultural Industries De-velopment Council. It will comprise representatives of specific cultural and creative industries to guidethe process of policy development and the complete re-examination of policy and legislation related tothe cultural and creative industries.

Information

The principles of dialogue, tolerance, education, respect for human dignity and human rights are core values embracedin the Progressive Agenda. These principles define the method and approach adopted by the Progressive Agenda toaddress controversial issues, whatever they may be and where-ever they may arise. This represents the basic standardfor Jamaica’s engagement in a multicultural, multi-ethnic globalized world. The resolution of these contradictionsmust begin at home.

Creating New Possibilities

Progressive Agenda Launch Booklet PNP

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