Holness urges shift from short-term demands to long-term policies

According to Jamaica Observer (General News), KINGSTON, Jamaica—Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday called for a shift in Jamaicans’ outlook from short-term responses from the government to supporting long-term policies with lasting benefits. Addressing a New Social Housing Programme handover ceremony in north west St Catherine on Friday, Holness said the prevailing expectation of immediate gains undermines effective policymaking. “Instead of looking for a short-term gain from government, you could invest in government and your faith and trust in government for the long term. That is not currently the view, ” he said. “Nobody is saying I’m going to invest faith in the government for a long-term delivery because of that; it affects the policy side because there’s nothing that you can do in government that will have a real impact in the short term,” he added. According to the prime minister, there is no real impact to be gained fo