Initiatives Must Be Implemented To Generate And Maintain Productivity Gains – Samuda

• Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Karl Samuda, says Jamaica must actively seek to implement transformative initiatives that can position the local labour force to generate and maintain sustainable productivity gains. 
• “This can be accomplished with careful attention to areas such as labour market reform, education, infrastructure that supports technology adoption, targeted investments in research and development as well as reallocating resources to higher value-added production,” Mr. Samuda said. 
• He maintained that as creative and innovative ways are identified to increase productivity during the pandemic, it is imperative to also bear in mind that “at [its] core is efficiency”. 
• “The more efficient we are with our labour, investment and natural resources, the more we can produce. Our goal is not to only produce more. We want to produce higher quantities and qualities of goods and services with every hour of labour, every dollar of investment, and every ounce of our natural resources,” the Minister added. 
• “As we continue to grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, the Jamaica Productivity Centre will be working to strengthen partnerships with stakeholders and highlight potential solutions, success stories and best practices… and our next step to promote growth in the Jamaican economy,” he said.

(Source: JIS)