NEW YORK, (JIS):
PRIME MINISTER, P.J. Patterson has said that Jamaicans could be proud of the country's achievements since Independence and especially over the last decade.
The Prime Minister, who was speaking at a special 40th anniversary of Independence ball in New York on Saturday, said that considerable progress had been made especially in the areas of health, education and achieving economic stability.
He said Jamaicans now had greater access to education at all levels, adding that curriculum changes had been effected in primary and secondary schools to make learning more relevant to the 21st Century.
He said there was greater availability to first class health care facilities, improved access to services such as water and electricity and the country now boasted a first rate transportation system.
Prime Minister Patterson said that as Jamaica celebrated Emancipation and the 40th anniversary of Independence, the Government has endeavoured to provide greater access to land, by making an unprecedented number of housing solutions available to Jamaicans through Operation Pride and the National Housing Trust. In addition, the Govern-ment has embarked on a revolutionary programme to provide more Jamaicans with land titles.
"We are providing land for the people, giving them titles for lands which have been in the possession of families for generations since slavery. In doing so, we are righting the wrongs that were created after Emancipation when the right to own land was taken away from newly emancipated slaves," he stated.
He noted however, that there was still cause for concern about the levels of crime in the society, but that additional resources had been allocated to deal with the problem, such as the introduction of technologies at the country's port of entry. He said there was now a greater understanding and acceptance among all Jamaicans of the need for everyone to become engaged in the fight to restore law and order in the society.
Prime Minister Patterson commended the Jamaican community in New York for their support and dedication to Jamaica over the 40 years since Independence and said the country remained confident of their continued support.
