BUDGET 08/09 - HOW YOUR TAX DOLLARS WILL BE SPENT
published:
Friday | March 28, 2008
Anderson
New innovations are to be introduced at various levels within the education system to improve lesson delivery, school management and study activities. The range of options for acquiring knowledge and skills is also to be more closely integrated to ensure that each student can pursue a path appropriate to his individual talent and aptitude.
Sylvester Anderson, president of the National Parent-Teachers Association of Jamaica: "Ensuring that students follow the appropriate path based on their talent and aptitude is a great idea. But like many other things, we hear pronouncements but the reality is that they do not normally come to fruition because of a lack of funding."
$6.6B
AGRICULTURE
Campbell
Government will be embarking on a new, technologically driven food production drive supported by improved marketing arrangements to transform significantly our agricultural and agro-processing sectors.
Dr Dunstan Campbell, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative to Jamaica, Bahamas and Belize, said any move to drive food security would be supported by the international entity.
Campbell, however, cautioned Government against using land for biofuel production. He encouraged the Government to capitalise on renewable energy such as solar, wind and water.
$2.3B
Info/YOUTH
Vassell
A National Gender Policy is being crafted to chart the way forward towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals and achieving gender equality.
The Women's Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC) has welcomed the commitment to specific gender interventions.
Linnette Vassell, chairperson of WROC, said Government has put forward statements of intention that are commendable.
"Fifty-two gender-specific interventions that Jamaica needs to implement have been identified by the United Nations' review in 2006 of our performance under CEDAW - the (Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women)- a treaty that we signed in 1984," she said.
LIBEL
Richards
Approval will be sought for the necessary amendments to ensure that public exposure can serve as an effective weapon against corruption and abuse of authority without compromising the right of individuals to protection of their reputation.
Desmond Richards, president of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ): "We [the members of the PAJ and Media Association of Jamaica are resolute in our commitment to ensure that the Government keeps its promise to review the archaic libel and slander laws."
