Vision 2030 Jamaica: National Development Plan

Jamaican society

     Jamaica has many ethnic groups that form its society. There are Jamaicans of Irish, Japanese, African descents and some from other nationalities. The religious diversity is very wide (going through Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Rastafari).

     In Jamaica the families are traditional. The members are very united. Parents are very rigid. Although they are severe, they are also very loving and always very involved in all stages of their children's lives.

                  

      Some cities in Jamaica experience a high level of violence and crime, especially Kingston, Montego Bay and Spanish Town. In 2005, Jamaica had the highest murder rate of the world and the Jamaican Parliament decided to retain the death penalty. The rates of violence against homosexuals are alarmingly high too.

     













       

Education in Jamaica

      Education in Jamaica has influences from the British system and is classified into three degrees: Primary, which is normally the first phase of compulsory education and starts at age of six; Secondary, which is normally the second phase education and may or may not be compulsory. It exists in traditional high schools and in other second level institutions; Terciary, which is normally the third phase of education and is not compulsory. It leads towards a degree or professional accreditation.

      Each year a significant number of the student population simply passes through the school system without acquiring the requisite skills and knowledge necessary for them to become meaningful and productive members of the society. 

    

        Sadly, not much has been done to change this situation.

Jamaican Government

        Jamaica is an independent commonwealth realm since 1962, and it has two different governments: parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. It has Queen Elizabeth II serving as the Jamaican Monarchy. She is also chief of state of fifteen other countries and resides most of the time in the United Kingdom.

       The monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, nominates the governor-general; the governor-general appoints the entire Cabinet and the Executive power is vested in the Cabinet . Legislative power is exercised in both: the government and parliament. The monarch and the governor-general’s role is largely ceremonial.

       A bipartisan joint committee drafted the current Constitution of Jamaica in 1962. The Constitution determines a parliamentary system whose political and legal traditions resembles those of the United Kingdom.

      The Parliament of Jamaica is bicameral. It consists in the House of Representatives (Lower House) and the Senate (Upper House). The Members of the House are known as Members of Parliament and they are directly elected. The governor-general for the prime minister’s post can appoint the member of the House of Representatives, if this one is judged capable. The power often alternates between the People's National Party - current administrative and legislative power - and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).  

     

     Portia Simpson-Miller is the current Prime Minister of Jamaica, and she acts as the head of government.  

Jamaican Economy

     Jamaican’s economic freedom is the 52nd in the world rank of Index (2013) and the 9th out of 29 countries in the South and Central America/ Caribbean region. Bellow, you can see some facts about Jamaican economy:

Currency	Jamaican dollar (JMD)
Economic freedom score	66.8
GDP (Gross Domestic Product)	$24.8 billion
GDP growth	0.9% (2012)
GDP per capita	$9,100 (2012)
Unemployment	12.6%
Inflation	7.5%
Population bellow poverty line	16.5% (2009)

      Jamaica has natural resources and an ideal climate conducive for agriculture and also tourism. First, the agriculture, especially of sugar and bananas, was the main economic activity in Jamaica but, in the 1940s, the bauxite-alumina industry was established and shifted the Jamaican’s economy from agriculture. Nowadays, Jamaica is one of the world leaders of these minerals.

      

   In the secondary industries, the manufacturing sector is an important contributor. Food processing, oil refining; chemicals products, assembled electronics, textiles, apparel and etc are the main manufactures.

        

    But it is the tourism that moves Jamaican economy. The beautiful beaches and the cultural diversity are great attractions for foreigners. From January to August 2013, Jamaica received 2.09 million visitors. The most visited places are: Montego Bay, Negril Beach, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio.

     The country faces some serious problems, like corruption and poverty, but has the potential for growth and modernization.