Prime Minister Andrew Holness has reported that, in the 2021-2022 parliamentary year, the Government passed more legislation and held more committee meetings than the previous year, therefore significantly increasing overall productivity.

Speaking yesterday at the Parliamentarians Luncheon at Jamaica House, Holness said: “I am pleased to report that despite the challenges we can still report progress. In the 2020-2021 parliamentary year, Parliament held 36 joint select committee meetings and 81 Sessional Committee meetings, totalling 117 meetings. In the 2021-2022 parliamentary year just ended, Parliament conducted 133 joint select committee meetings and 71 sessional committee meetings, totalling 174 meetings. If meetings are an index for work and effort, then it is clear that Parliament is doing more work and making more effort.”

With the passage of 26 pieces of legislation in the last parliamentary year, the Prime Minister further stated: “If the legislation passed is that sign of actual outcome and achievement, then we can report that in the parliamentary year ended we passed 26 pieces of legislation. In the previous year, we did 19.”

Holness also noted that the decrease in sessional committee meetings was because the Government shifted its focus to ensure more legislation was passed.