JAMAICA Government and politics BY JOSH HASTINGS

PROBLEMS There is a need to have a greater impact on reducing the rate of major crime as well as being tough on the anti-social behaviour which occurs often in communities and contributes to a general fear of crime. The Ministry of National Security was established as a single Ministry in 2001 following the dissolution of the Ministry of National Security and Justice to form two separate ministries. A strategic review covering the key constraints on the Ministry’s performance was prepared in April The issues identified in that report were then further explored at the second stage and are now dealt with in more detail in this modernisation plan. The current MNS mandate is to: facilitate the maintenance of law and order; protect Jamaica against internal and external threats; punish and rehabilitate offenders.

STRENGTHS IN THE GOVERNMENT  A principal tenet of modernisation is the management of all resources in the public sector in order to achieve best value for money in the delivery of services. In the same way that we must make decisions daily in our personal lives to make best use of how we spend money in order to enjoy best value, Government organisations must always improve the way the country uses their share of resources by increasing efficiency and expectation.  ‘Managing for results is about putting systems in place to require and assist civil servants to maximize the utility of the resources they manage. It is to be able to measure, target and monitor government organizations and individual civil servants to ensure that they meet the requirements for improved efficiency and effectiveness’ - - Medium Term Action Plan  Managing for Results encompasses a wide range of areas and requires a multi pronged approach to achieving the desired results.

MONEY  An improvement in public financial management requires improvement in the methods of allocating resources and in overall performance across government. It is also about enhancing existing financial management systems for better informed decision making and control of resources, implementing medium term expenditure frameworks, improving government auditing and ensuring government procurement is undertaken efficiently, effectively, transparently and corruption free.  The Jamaican currency is the Jamaican dollar.

ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT  They are a democratic government because they elect new governors every so often.  The Jamaican government is based on English common law and has not accepted compulsory infrastructural improvement projects ICJ jurisdiction – international court of justice.

History  Jamaica was inhabited by Arawak Indians when Columbus explored it in 1494 and named it St. Iago. It remained under Spanish rule until 1655, when it became a British possession. Buccaneers operated from Port Royal, also the capital, until it fell into the sea in an earthquake in Disease decimated the Arawaks, so black slaves were imported to work on the sugar plantations. During the 17th and 18th centuries the British were consistently harassed by the Maroons, armed bands of freed slaves roaming the countryside. Abolition of the slave trade (1807), emancipation of the slaves (1833), and a drop in sugar prices eventually led to a depression that resulted in an uprising in The following year Jamaica became a Crown colony, and conditions improved considerably. Introduction of bananas reduced dependence on sugar.  On May 5, 1953, Jamaica gained internal autonomy, and, in 1958, superheaded the organization of the West Indies Federation. A nationalist labor leader, Sir Alexander Bustamente, later campaigned to withdraw from the federation. After a referendum, Jamaica became independent on Aug. 6, Michael Manley, of the socialist People's National Party, became prime minister in 1972.

SUMMARY  A problem is to reduce the amount of major crime.  A strength is that they are very modern.  1 Jamaican dollar equals British pounds.