Mark Titus, Freelance Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE JAMAICAN Government will create an over-sight body by the end of November to ensure that the policies and programmes agreed on at the National Planning Summit are implemented on a timely basis.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding made this announcement at the post-conference press briefing for the summit, which ended at the Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall in Montego Bay yesterday.

The unit will be headed by a chief executive officer who will, according to the Prime Minister, have the responsibility of driving the process.

"The CEO will report directly to me, because so much of what has to be done is going to cross-cut a wide range of ministries and agencies, that it will require prime ministerial authority," he said.

"What I can assure you is that there is no deficit in terms of the will to ensure that these plans are implemented. We have conveyed to the private sector and other interests that were represented here that whatever it needs, whatever we have to do to ensure that we can have tourists going into an attraction where none existed before, and to have one ton of agricultural goods coming off land where no crops grew before, we have the political will to do it."

The Prime Minister did not give details on any other of the policies and strategies agreed on, and it would appear that a collective decision was taken by participants in the two-day exercise to speak as one voice, as efforts by The Gleaner to get individual comments on deliberations were unsuccessful.

Echoing the Prime Minister's comments, head of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Christopher Zacca, described the event as excellent and rewarding, pointing out that his organisation shares the vision and goal of the Government, that of creating job opportunities, growth and wealth for the people of Jamaica.

"What is impressive about this exercise is not just the participation (of the Government) this weekend, but the mechanism for follow-up and implementation," he said. "For the first in a long time we feel that there is a hope, a great sense of conviction that there will be implementation and not just a talk shop.