Gov’t committed to securing Jamaica: PM Holness

Jamaica Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, says the Government remains committed to securing Jamaica and will not allow any threats to weaken the State.

He noted that the security threats to Jamaica “are not simple” and the perpetrators “are not street-level criminals” but “people with significant resources have international links”.

“Their main interest is to see the weakening of the State, either by corrupting its officials or depriving the State of resources. This Government will never allow that to happen to Jamaica,” he declared.

The Prime Minister was addressing the commissioning of the Jamaica Defence Force’s (JDF) new maritime patrol aircraft hangar and maritime patrol aircraft at the Air Wing Manley Base at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

The facility will serve as the operational base for the JDF’s newly established Maritime Air and Cyber Command.

He said that the Government remains strategic in curbing crime, noting that the plan involves ongoing collaborations with the country’s partners and sharing information as deemed necessary.

“What is clear, day by day, is that the plan is unfolding… and you are seeing more than just its unfolding… you are seeing results,” he contended.

He noted that the JDF’s acquisition of the aircraft, coupled with the establishment of a Maritime Air and Cyber Command, are indicative of the ongoing tangible inputs being made by the Government to safeguard Jamaica.

“I want each [person] to feel confident that the Government is making the investment in all spheres of security to ensure that you the citizens of Jamaica can feel safe,” he added.

“To get to that safety in the home, you have to ensure that you are protecting your maritime space, your cyberspace, your financial architecture and systems… your telecommunications systems and your road networks. That is the essence of the plan [for] Jamaica,” he said.

Meanwhile, Holness said the Government is spending “considerable” resources to improving the policy and legislative framework within which assets such as those acquired by the JDF will operate, emphasising that these “must never become a threat to law-abiding citizens”.

“They must always be used to protect and secure the law-abiding citizen. Therefore, the legislative and policy framework is such to safeguard and ensure that the rights of citizens are always protected,” he added.

“So, as we invest in these new assets, which are technologically advanced, we also make sure of protecting the rights of the citizens of Jamaica,” he noted.