THE GOVERNMENT, led by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, will have a three-day retreat with private sector leaders in Montego Bay, the second city, starting today.
A news release from the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday said the retreat would mark the Government and the private sector embarking on a new phase of collaboration and joint problem-solving in the interest of advancing job creation, economic growth and national development.
Mr. Patterson stated in the news release that the workshop-retreat, which ends on Sunday at the Ritz- Carlton Rose Hall Hotel, was an important event in the on-going dialogue between the Government and the private sector.
"Our adherence to the market-economy model reserves a special place for the private sector as the engine of economic growth. But, we believe that the private sector and the Government must work together to ensure that the growth and development we both seek take place", he stated.
Private sector leaders are also looking forward to the discussions on the economy.
"The private sector, as has been its tradition, looks forward to collaborating with the Government on issues of national importance", said Beverly Lopez, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica. "We therefore come to the table willing to share ideas and thoughts on these issues and hope that practical solutions will be found to engender the growth that we need so badly".
Mr. Patterson, Mrs. Lopez, and Dr. Paul Robertson, Minister of Development, will address today's session of the retreat. Today too, Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning, will present a fiscal review highlighting perspectives and imperatives of the current economic situation; Dr. Peter Phillips, National Security Minister, will present a report on the national anti-crime initiatives.
Tomorrow's discussion will focus on strategies for promoting investment, job-creation and growth, with presentations by the Minister of Development, as well as by Dr. Arnaldo Ventura, adviser to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology.
An action plan will be arrived at and presented on Sunday, when the Prime Minister and the PSOJ president are slated to make their closing remarks.
