LISA'S VISION FOR JAMAICA

Mission Abort?

In the 19th century, Jamaica enacted the Offences Against the Person Act of 1864 based on the 1861 English Act.The Act makes abortion illegal and subjects any person who intends to procure a miscarriage, unlawfully administers..

The people want water

With only 38 per cent of eligible voters coming out to vote in 2020, it is clear that the tenets of our democracy are not resonating with the majority of our people. What is more, 70 per cent of average Jamaicans feel that elected officials are corrupt.

DIGITAL DATING STRANGER THAN FICTION?

Verified In 2018 the Science Advances journal argued that internet dating was the “third most popular means of meeting a long term partner for romance and around half of all 18-34 year olds now use dating apps.”

Hanna urges food and energy crisis task force

Opposition spokeswoman on foreign affairs and foreign trade Lisa Hanna has renewed her call on the Government to urgently establish a food and energy crisis task force to forecast and plan for further global economic fallout...

Hanna urges Gov't to extend Order of Excellence to Rwandan President during visit

The People's National Party said that it “welcomes wholeheartedly” the impending visit of Rwanda President..

Hanna makes case in Parliament for Marley to be named national hero

Member of Parliament for St Ann South East, Lisa Hanna, has repeated a call she first made..

I did not ‘snub’ Kate Middleton. But Jamaica needs more than royal regrets over slavery

In Jamaica, we often use the word “respect” when we greet or part ways with other people...

Johnson Smith, Hanna spar over Russia sanctions policy

Despite at least two CARICOM nations imposing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukriane...

Hand that rocks the cradle

The saying, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world” is an important reminder about developing a child's character...

Let's end this political football gamE

As we approach our 60th year of Independence from Great Britain, our two major political parties would have had almost equal time at the helm of running Jamaica.

POSITIONING MILK RIVER

The Milk River Bath is a natural resource that has been relevant since it opened in 1794. This attraction operates as a hotel and spa with 20 rooms, offering breakfast..

It takes bold leadership to lead your kingdom

In 1997 Tiger Woods made history when he won the coveted Masters Tournament golf championship with the widest margin of victory. At 21 years old, he had achieved professional golf greatness.

HELLO AFRICA

The visit of the Rwandan President is not only timely but a reminder that we strengthen our collaboration, partnership, and solidarity between ourselves....

Are You Ready? For What's Coming?

The Russian Federation is the second-largest oil producer in the world, producing 10.1 million barrels per day of crude oil..

Bob Marley for National Hero

Our National Honours and Awards Act describes the national hero motto: “He built a city which hath foundations.”

Respect, every time

The world is interconnected, and what may seem like fun and games to one party can cause significant damage to people's lives and reputations, especially when we position them as the protagonist to further manipulative agendas and readership.

We need a sun, sand, and sea makeover

In this race towards self-determination and prosperity — measured by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita — Singapore is currently ranked fourth globally, the United Arab Emirates ranked 12th...

PNP condemns aggression by Russian forces in Ukraine

Opposition spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Lisa Hanna has expressed deep concern while condemning “...

‘Lord, this is where I’m going to build my house’

For Andrea Riley, of Rural Retreat near Claremont in South East St Ann, the People’s National Party (PNP) stronghold currently held by Member of Parliament (MP) Lisa Hanna, her prayers..

The next billion-dollar idea: JAMAICAN BOTTLED WATER

Not only is the bottled water market thriving worldwide, but its volume has also surpassed carbonated beverages, and it will continue to grow due to....

Hanna calls on urgent intervention of Gov't as constituents face water shortages

Member of Parliament (MP) for South St Ann, Lisa Hanna is raising the alarm that her constituency is on the “brink of catastrophe” as residents have been...

Coffee is second to water...

Coffee is the second most popular beverage globally after water, and the second most traded commodity after oil. Every day close to 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide....

Nollywood, Bollywood, the Squid are all at the table

For the past 15 years India has been the most significant global producer of films — releasing approximately 1,500 to 2,000 movies annually, spanning 20 languages.

Let's brand the metaverse with J'can NFT lifestyle?

I love, collect, and value art, particularly from Caribbean artists. My most-treasured piece is a charcoal nude by the famous Jamaican artist George Rodney given to me....

It's 2022... and now what?

Often at the end of a year the annual ritual for most individuals is to pause and reflect on what was, keeping things that worked in their lives, and discarding those that didn’t. For them, the active intention for self-evaluation and personal renewal takes the form of a list of new year’s resolutions with all the things they want to achieve in the new calendar year.

WOMEN WHO INSPIRED ME IN 2021

This pandemic has architecturally redesigned our world. Never before has so much thought gone into how we move, how we breathe, and how we take up space. When human beings required gestures of tender loving reassurance, national orders were to stay six feet away from each other, quarantine, or curfew. 

Yes, 2021 was a long and arduous year mentally, emotionally, and financially for many people. It was also a year of tremendous..

Here's to the crazy ones

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” This was the slogan for Apple’s US$90-million ‘Think Different’ commercial and global advertising campaign, which debuted on September 28, 1997 featuring stark black-and-white photographs of non-conformist thinkers such as Bob Dylan; Martin Luther King, Jr; Sir Richard Branson; and John Lennon. It was iconic. It was also transitional, as the company did two things to build consumer confidence:..

The productivity principle

Links may get you the job, but it’s creating value that keeps it
There is not one day that goes by in which a job request does not come to my phone or is solicited via a face-to-face conversation. Mostly, Jamaicans ask if I can get them a farm work card or something that can earn them more money. Typically, the conversation goes something like this: 

“MP, I need a job I am not working,”

“What kind of job?”

A Unrecognisable and Undeclared War: Part 2

Jamaica was registered at 46.2 murders per 100,000 people. The international benchmark used is 30 murders per 100,000 people to establish a state of civil war. Between 2009 and 2018, there were over 13,000 murders and average of 1,300 per year the lowest in 2014 at 1,005 and the highest in 2009 at 1,680. 80% of these murders were gang related.

(Securing a Safer Jamaica: The National Crime & Violence Prevention Summit, July 30, 2019.

An unrecognisable and undeclared war

These are the names and ages of the 12 Jamaicans who were murdered in separate events across our island on Saturday, November 20, 2021.

1) Sorika Picart, 16 years old

2) Deron Wright, 20 years old

3) Octavia Sterling, 29 years old 

Pot a boil but food nuh nuff

Nearly a decade ago I recall then Minister of Agriculture Roger Clarke declaring in the Parliament that he alone could eat the amount of rice that the former Minister of Agriculture Dr Christopher Tufton had initiated in an experimental 25-acre rice farm at Amity Hall in 2009. No doubt, he was insinuating that the project was so small that it would not and could not satisfy the demands of one person, let alone the Jamaican population.

 

IS THE TRUST BETRAYING OUR TRUST?​

Every Jamaican dreams of owning a home; having a property with one’s name on its title and turning one’s own key in the door. Whether they decide to build it or buy it, this dream, for the majority, will require a loan to make it a reality. This is where a mortgage institution comes in.

The National Housing Trust (NHT) was established in 1976 by Prime Minister Michael Manley as Jamaica’s national mortgage institution to provide financial assistance to low-income..

How China's US$8-trillion real estate debt could impact us all

China has a culture of real estate investment. The real estate sector makes up 29 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) or approximately US$4.2 trillion. Every year the country begins constructing 15-million new homes — five times as many as the United States and Europe combined. China’s housing market, valued at US$52 trillion in 2019, is two times the size of the United States residential market (Li Gan, professor of economics, Texas A&M University,October 2021).

'You get what you pay for'

Now, this may be a little salty for your liking, but indulge me for a brief moment. If I were to ask if you believe a Jamaican Member of Parliament (MP) was paid adequately, what would you say?

I would wager that your response would be, “Yes, of course!” You may even say: “They get too much!”

If I were to follow up and ask if you believe the work of an MP should be a full-time job, I presume your answer would be the same. If your answer is “no”…

National heroism in 21st century Jamaica

I want to begin by telling you a story, perhaps one that you have heard before. Over 280 years ago Jamaica boasted a female military leader who courageously embarked on the journey from Portland in the east to St Elizabeth in the south-west to convince her ‘brother-in-arms’ that the British could not be trusted. In this mood of active resistance, she took the long journey across the backbone of our island, through the lush Cockpit Country — all the while hiding from British soldiers and plantation owners as she led the Windward Maroons with superior skill.

The new world has been here for a while now

In China, November 11 is annually regarded as ‘Singles Day’ — the unofficial antithesis to Valentine’s Day (February 14), started in the 1990s by single college students. Today this tradition is a mega event for noticeable online shopping.

On November 11, 2020, Alibaba and JD.com — China’s biggest “e-tailers” — recorded sales of more than US$115 billion, a record for a single day anywhere in the world. To put things in perspective, in one day, two Chinese companies…

Education in crisis

Jamaica currently comes last in the English-speaking Caribbean on the percentage of eligible students enrolled in the formal school system (UNESCO 2018). There were approximately 439,448 students registered in Jamaican primary and secondary schools for the 2018/2019 academic year. Our reasonable expectation for any student is for them to attain a level of proficiency to pass at least five subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate level in high school. Currently, the majority of our

Get Jamaica the green light

“IF the vaccine I got isn’t recognised, what does that mean? Will I have to get a booster shot to travel? Which vaccines qualify?” Earlier this week news broke that the United Kingdom did not recognise the COVID-19 vaccine code for Jamaica, resulting in Jamaicans who are fully immunised against COVID-19 having to identify as being unvaccinated upon arrival in that country. In other words: No COVID-19 vaccine administered in Jamaica is currently allowed in the UK.

Towards a sustainable plan for agriculture

The race by economies around the world to recover from the novel coronavirus pandemic is becoming much harder given global inflation, which is raising prices on food, plastic, steel, lumber, and energy. Within the last six months the drought in Brazil, a cyberattack on JBS (the world’s largest producer of meat protein), Russia’s export tax on wheat, and surging shipping rates by China by 300 per cent, have dramatically affected the global supply chain.

The bioethicist dilemma in female athletics

“Go, Jamaica, go!” I screamed like an emergency siren as I watched the women’s 200-metre final.

“But, wait, who’s the girl with the shocking acceleration closing in!” I said in disbelief.

“That’s Christine Mboma, she used to run the 800 metres, but she just started 

Why is my light bill so high?

There is no doubt that electricity costs in Jamaica are too high. Out of 146 countries around the world, Jamaica stands at 142 with the highest charges. There are only four countries — Belgium, Denmark, Bermuda, and Germany — that pay more for electricity than we do in Jamaica (globalpetrolprices.com).

What’s more, some of our Caribbean and Latin American neighbours have found mechanisms to supply cheaper electricity costs to their citizens. (See table) There is truly no justification for Jamaicans..

The fierce urgency of now

As we seek urgent strategic solutions to tackle our novel coronavirus community spread, our peripheral vision must recognise and begin planning for the other imminent crisis waiting on our doorstep — inflation.

Regardless of the bubble you’ve chosen for protection, it would be difficult to escape the reality of surging retail prices for food, goods, and other commodities. These increases will not get better any time soon as massive disruptions to global supply chains have caused severe..

Lessons from Jamaica's pioneering immunisation success — Part 2

It is often said that the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Former public health specialist and head of hospital services in Jamaica Dr Deanna Ashley says her work in the Jamaica public health system over many decades taught her that behaviour-change does not occur overnight.

Lessons from Jamaica's pioneering immunisation success — Part 1

Marvel Gordon was a quiet and self-assured young woman whose sharp mind gave comfort with unique solutions. She was excellent in her communications strategies for the Ministry of Youth and Culture while I was minister in charge. She was like a daughter to me and we remained in touch after I left the ministry. I was truly proud of her strides as she was of mine.

The impact of violence on Ja's future

The responses to last week’s article ‘Why not retire in Jamaica?’ were overwhelming across my social media pages. Over a thousand people commented under my Instagram post with nearly 100 per cent saying they were not prepared to retire in Jamaica until we “…fix crime and health care”.

Why not retire in Jamaica?

Last summer Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that her country was accepting applications for its new “Welcome Stamp Program”. Under this programme, special visas had been approved, giving people from anywhere in the world the opportunity to relocate to the island, live like a Bajan, place their children in school, and work remotely for one year.

Are we spending too much on the dead?

Several years ago I asked my husband for a very special favour. I needed him to represent me at a funeral for a staff member’s relative as I had to travel on ministerial business. If you know anything about rural funerals then you know that they can last up to five hours or more depending on how popular the person was in their community. I told him, however, not to worry, as this one would only take two hours at most, and he could leave right after the sermon, if necessary. He agreed.

It's exploitation!

Fifty years before US President John F Kennedy made his famous “Ask not what your country can do for you” speech it was Khalil Gibran who, in an article ‘The new deal’, challenged old and new ideas in the Middle East about politics, business, religion, education, media, and governance.

In particular, he asked: “Are you a merchant utilising the needs of society for the needs of life, for monopoly and exorbitant profit? Or a sincere, hard-working and diligent man

In a digital world content is king!

During the nineteenth century, Kodak was the leader in the photography industry throughout the world. At one point, Kodak had 85 per cent market share in cameras and 90 per cent market share in film. For some people, owning a camera was essential to memorialise a special occasion with a “Kodak moment”. The company was doing well up until the early 21st century when digital cameras began gaining popularity.

Taking on the fight to end poverty

For over a decade I was a devoted ‘karateka’. Originally it was going with my sister to Regal cinema to watch a “kickaz” which drew me to the martial arts. Having registered with Errol Lyn I soon realised that karate was less about fighting and more about harnessing one’s self-discipline, strong mental focus, and stealthy stratagem. I vividly remember my black belt exam, it was not only physically brutal, but mentally exhausting. One of the qualifying criterion to pass the exam was to fight all the senior black belt…

Let's incentivise Diaspora participation

Our Jamaican patriots on the global stage have made us proud as they engage in every facet of human development and continue to exemplify extraordinary achievements in their areas of operation. The conscious benevolence of members of our Jamaican Diaspora of nearly three million strong keeps our hope alive especially in times of despair. Time and again, when problems besetting our nation seem…

A case for medical tourism in Jamaica: Conclusion

Globally, it is estimated that between 14 million to 16 million patients travelled outside their home countries to seek treatment in 2017. Today, the global medical tourism market size accounted for US$104.68 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $273.72 billion by 2027.

Unlike traditional tourism — which gives revenues of US$113 per person per day spent by stopover visitors — medical tourism has the

Let's incentivise Diaspora participation

Our Jamaican patriots on the global stage have made us proud as they engage in every facet of human development and continue to exemplify extraordinary achievements in their areas of operation. The conscious benevolence of members of our Jamaican Diaspora of nearly three million strong keeps our hope alive especially in times of despair. Time and again, when problems besetting our nation seem…

A case for medical tourism in Jamaica: Conclusion

Globally, it is estimated that between 14 million to 16 million patients travelled outside their home countries to seek treatment in 2017. Today, the global medical tourism market size accounted for US$104.68 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $273.72 billion by 2027.

Unlike traditional tourism — which gives revenues of US$113 per person per day spent by stopover visitors — medical tourism has the

A case for medical tourism in Jamaica — Part 1

A few years ago, a friend of mine who needed knee replacement surgery, on both his knees, told me he was heading to India to have the procedure done. When I asked him why he chose to travel all that way, his answer was simple: “Because it’s much cheaper to do it there.” My friend’s surgery was successful, his life is now pain-free, and his savings are still intact.

With cost-competitive medical services, coupled with their traditional practices of yoga and Ayurveda, India has developed a burgeoning..

An egotistic determination to create a disciplined culture

can remember visiting a primary school in my constituency some time ago and asking some of the students to help with picking up the garbage on the school’s compound. The principal, seeing my interactions with the students, raced towards me shouting, “Stop, MP, if the parents hear that their children are picking up garbage they will come here and chastise me, because they told me they do not send their children to school to pick up garbage.” 

Before the #MeToo movement

Many of us can remember October 1991 when, through public televised confirmation hearings, Professor Anita Hill courageously brought to our global consciousness to personal experiences of sexual harassment by her supervisor at the United States Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). As it turned out, this supervisor was US Supreme Court nominee, Justice Clarence Thomas.

All for one

Jamaica is a signatory to the Re vised Treaty of Chaguaramas (2001) for a Caricom Single Market Economy (CSME). Simply put, the CSME was envisioned to enable the free movement of capital, skills, goods, and services, and the right of establishment within the region.

By January 2006 Jamaica and other member states (except The Bahamas and Montserrat) commenced the implementation of the CSME…

Global trade: The solution for local growth

In the 14 years I have been a Me mber of Parliament we have not moved the wealth needle for our people, and my impatience with this inertia has become suffocating. Other countries have increased their people’s wealth by 100 per cent within a 10-year period. Here are just a few examples: The United Arab Emirates (with non-oil exports), Vietnam, Panama, Ghana, Columbia, Dominica Republic. There are several more, but the point is that Jamaica is underperforming based on the value of our brand in the world, the strategic location..

China woos Jamaican seafood exporters

Chinese Ambassador Tian Qi has agreed to facilitate further exploration of the economic ties between China and Jamaica to increase exports of deep-sea foods to his country.

Recent discussions highlighted trade opportunities in conch, sea cucumber, lobster, pork, canned ackee, spices, and rum.

Acknowledging that several of Jamaica’s marine delicacies are in high..

Do right by Cuba!

Recently, we have all been inescapably privy to the intense human suffering and loss of lives amidst the daily violence between Israel and Palestine. No doubt we all long for the day when this confrontation is replaced with conciliation towards a negotiated sustainable solution which fully respects the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and the right of Israel to exist. However, achieving peace and tolerance of different economic, religious, and political systems require more than wishful thinking. 

Ganja industry development task force being established

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce is advanced in establishing a Ganja Industry Development Task Force, which will draw on expertise from the public and private sectors and academia to provide guidance for the further growth of the industry. Among the areas of focus are rights and protection, expansion of research on medical cannabis, product development, market access, and high-impact investment.

Jamaica has forfeited right as mediator in global conflicts – Hanna

As the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalates in the Middle East, Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs Lisa Hanna has urged the United Nations (UN) to move swiftly to bring a resolution to the violence that has claimed the lives of nearly 200 Palestinians and 10 Israelis.

“We believe that both parties need to have dialogue, and those powers that be, particularly in the United Nations, need to act quickly so that we can bring some normalcy to the region for a quick ceasefire and to have peace in that part of the world,”

Give our ganja a fighting chance

“Coming from the country with my bag a collie

I buck up on a DC, him want fi hold me…

The children crying fi hunger and I-man a suffer

I buck up on a DC, him want fi hold me…

The children crying fi hunger and I-man a suffer

So you’ve got to see, it’s just collie that feeds me

We have a legislative dilemma

All of us, as legislators, face the dilemma between our moral values and taking decisions to either maintain or repeal laws that are no longer relevant and betray the essential fabric of our constitutional rights. This is where I found myself in 2018 when I refused to sign a joint select committee’s report on updating the sexual offences in the Offences Against The Person Act, although I was a member of that committee.

Jamaica needs foreign policy direction

JAMAICA has always stood firm on assertive and enlightened leadership in our foreign policy and principles in forging our international diplomatic relationships. Central to these principles has been a commitment to non-interference in the internal affairs of all nations..

Let's get serious about our women!

Our main responsibility as parliamentarians is to create a society in which all Jamaicans can access the best opportunities and thrive in harmony without any threats of violence. Additionally, we must build an economic climate and mindset that will grow the Jamaican economy in a way that increases the per capita income for all our citizens.

Good things come to those who get up and get them

There were two important events that took place this year which may have missed the attention of the West. The first was on January 1, 2021, when the African Union launched its African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) — a single continental market of 1.3 billion people with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$3.3 trillion

Lessons from India's vaccine diplomacy

As European Union countries coalesce around vaccine nationalism with halts to usage of the AstraZeneca vaccine and blocks on exports, India has boldly stepped on to the world stage with ‘vaccine diplomacy’. India has exported three times as many vaccine doses as it has given to its own people, including supplying 1.1 billion doses to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVAX (COVID-19 Global Access) facility to poorer countries.

Unrecognised opportunity

In the Chinese zodiac 2021 is the year of the ox. The ox, for the Chinese, symbolises strong patriotism, stability, resilience, and an unrelenting persistence. For those of us watching China over the last decade there is no doubt that its economic prowess is synonymous with the qualities of an ox, and its global dominance is hard to move out of the way.

Hanna wants Jamaica to promote international trade policy

OPPOSITION spokesperson on foreign affairs and foreign trade Lisa Hanna is urging the Government to join hands with the Opposition and the private sector to seek growth solutions by pushing a foreign policy which focuses on economic development.

Hanna, in her 2021/22 sectoral debate presentation in the House of Representatives Tuesday, said the best way to do this is to promote international trade policy through proactive approaches.