[{"bbox": [97, 153, 1164, 362], "category": "Text", "text": "Policy objectives of the *Government of Jamaica ICT Policy* which underpins inclusiveness, environmental protection, gender equality and disability considerations are - (a) to achieve a thriving, digital economy and knowledge-based society with opportunities for accelerated growth and which includes every Jamaican. (b) to promote accelerated deployment of affordable and accessible high capacity networks and facilities islandwide - including strategies to support programmes that specifically target vulnerable groups including low-income households, the elderly, youth and the disabled. (c) to ensure optimal utilization of ICT including telecommunications for enhanced national security; disaster relief communication and management responses. (d) to facilitate the framework for appropriate disposal of ICT waste."}, {"bbox": [97, 391, 1164, 710], "category": "Text", "text": "These considerations are reflected to varying degrees in the MSET, MIIC and the MoEY's strategic business plans. For example, (a) MIIC's focus on women-owned businesses; through this budget support programme; (b) the MoEY's plan to incorporate the peculiarities of the boy and girl child into reviewing and integrating its ICT in education competency framework for teachers into the curricular of teacher training institutions; (c) MSET's ongoing work to achieve island-wide broadband infrastructure; (d) MSET's ongoing implementation of the National Energy Policy (NEP), which will make a major contribution towards mitigating the harmful environmental effects of increased electricity use that will accompany broadband expansion and use across the country. (e) Furthermore, work is advancing to draft an electrical and electronic (e-waste) regulations. When signed into the law, the regulations will require traders of computers, printers, televisions, mobile phones and refrigerators to take them back at end-of-life and dispose of them in an environmentally sound manner. Jamaica's National Policy for the Environmentally Sound Management of Hazardous Waste addresses the management of hazardous wastes in an integrated life-cycle approach, that is, from its generation, minimisation, reuse, recovery and treatment to final disposal."}, {"bbox": [97, 736, 1164, 948], "category": "Text", "text": "At the national level, the Cabinet Office through the Performance Management and Evaluation Branch (PMEB) implements the Government-wide Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES). The PMEB works primarily with the Ministries and their portfolio Departments and Agencies to improve their strategic planning, performance monitoring and evaluation and reporting processes so that Government can be provided with reliable performance information on the results of policies, programmes and projects that are being implemented. The strategic business plans of MSET, MoEY and MIIC all envisage some level of capacity building in the areas of monitoring and evaluation. Complementary support will be provided under the budget support programme to contribute towards this end and to support the MSET in the overall coordination of *Digital Jamaica*."}, {"bbox": [97, 974, 1164, 1134], "category": "Text", "text": "The MSET, MoEY and MIIC ownership of their strategic business plans is assessed as positive. Their Policy, Planning, Development and Evaluation Division developed the documents in-house. The Ministers and the Permanent Secretaries have successful result records of accomplishment over many years. The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service is quite experienced in working on EU budget support programmes. In terms of governance, Jamaica's Digital Agenda is being coordinated at the high level from the Office of the Prime Minister and at the technical level by the Ministry of Science Energy and Technology (MSET)."}, {"bbox": [97, 1160, 1164, 1214], "category": "Text", "text": "In conclusion, the policy is sufficiently relevant and credible for budget support contract objectives to be largely achieved. Therefore the policy can be supported by the Commission with the proposed budget support contract."}, {"bbox": [85, 1226, 376, 1254], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 2.3.2 Macroeconomic Policy"}, {"bbox": [97, 1269, 1134, 1375], "category": "Text", "text": "Prior to the Pandemic, Jamaica has been enjoying an entrenched macroeconomic stability as displayed by key macro-economic variables (steady economic growth, low unemployment rate and a decline in the public debt). The consistent economic gains were reflected in the highest credit ratings by the three rating agencies (S&P, Moody's and Fitch) Jamaica ever had."}, {"bbox": [97, 1375, 1134, 1640], "category": "Text", "text": "The COVID-19 pandemic hit Jamaica with first cases registered in March 2020. A sudden drop in tourism receipts (-70%), Jamaica's largest source of foreign exchange generated a strong decline in Jamaica's economy (-10% in 2020 compared to 2019) - the worst economic contraction in Jamaica's history. This was accompanied by a surge in unemployment (unemployment rate of 12.6% in July 2020 survey). As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, public debt has increased to 109% of GDP at end of FY2020/21 representing a 15 percentage point increase compared to a year ago. Poverty rate is estimated as well to have increased to 23% in 2020 from 19% in 2019. Despite the strong decline in remittances at the onset of the pandemic, for FY2020/21 remittance inflows of US$2917 million increased by 35.5% or US$764.3 million compared to the previous fiscal year. To counter the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government suspended the fiscal rule for one year and temporarily reduced the primary balance target from 6.5% to 3.5%. In addition, it postponed reaching the 60% public debt to GDP"}, {"bbox": [1028, 1681, 1144, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 11 of 42"}]