Holness targets land grabbing, disaster readiness and Jamdex delays in JIS update

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness used the May 29, 2026 JIS news update to caution that organised land grabbing is becoming a serious threat, with people unlawfully occupying, dividing and selling public and private property while claiming adverse possession. He said informal settlements can make communities harder to service, raise costs for water, sewage and garbage collection, reduce land value and create conditions that support crime.

Holness said the Government is working to expand affordable formal housing, speed up land registration and promote planned settlement. Minister Robert Montague, who has responsibility for land titling and settlements, has been tasked with protecting Government lands from illegal occupation. The Prime Minister spoke at a Wednesday titling ceremony where 124 people from more than 10 Manchester communities received certificates under the systematic land registration programme. Montague said the National Land Agency, now marking its 25th year, has produced and handed over more than 13,000 titles islandwide in five years, with a target of 25,000 titles annually.

At Wednesday’s National Disaster Risk Management Council meeting, Holness also called for coordinated action ahead of the hurricane season. He said ODPEM must be more technical, operational and data-led, while emergency services, labour officials, health facilities, schools, utilities, scientific agencies, businesses and the private sector must strengthen continuity planning, logistics, warning systems, public communication and recovery arrangements.

Bank of Jamaica Governor Richard Byles, who leaves office on August 18, said he was disappointed by the slow pace at which financial institutions have enabled Jamdex payments on point-of-sale terminals. Payment systems official Mario Griffiths said one deposit-taking institution is expected to retrofit devices by July 26, while others have indicated timelines up to the first quarter of 2027.

The Education Ministry and the Digital Foundation also signed an MOU in Kingston to rebuild smart labs at Anchovy Primary in St. James and Unity Primary in Westmoreland after Hurricane Melissa. Permanent Secretary Dr. Cassan Troupe said more than 2,400 students and about 120 teachers should benefit.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s 40 National Heroes Circle building has been renamed for former Labour Minister Lynden Newland. Minister Pearnel Charles Jr. also announced the Honorable Mavis Gilmore Centenarian honour for Jamaica’s oldest citizen each year, named for Dr. Mavis Gilmore, a St. Elizabeth native, former minister and the Caribbean’s first female surgeon, who turned 100 on April 13. He further named Alister McLean as Jamaica’s first disability inclusion advocate.