Mr. Speaker, in the Sectoral Debate a year ago, I said that "the economic fundamentals are sound and there are good reasons to feel a lot more confident about the future than some surveys have suggested." The economic and fiscal out turns already reported to the house by the Minister of Finance and Planning have confirmed that our confidence was based on a sure foundation.

I said then, and I say again, Mister Speaker, that far from indicating a need to change fundamentals, the message from the financial markets and the real economy is that the foundations for accelerated growth are already in place but, at the same time, we have to have the fortitude to redouble our efforts and stay the course.

During this presentation here today Mr. Speaker, I will:

• Provide evidence to support the position that the Jamaican economy is in a phase of strong economic growth and that this growth is sustainable.
  


• I will offer in summary form a review of the prospects in those for which I have been assigned portfolio responsibilities namely:

  
  1) Bauxite and Alumina Industry
  2) Investment and Export Promotion,
  
  as well as some other key areas of the economy, including
  
  1) Tourism
  2) Information and Community Technology
  3) Shipping and Berthing
  4) Construction




• Next, I will focus on social development with particular emphasis on the areas for which I have portfolio responsibility, namely, initiatives to enhance gender equity and coordination of the social interventions to create economic opportunities in some urban communities that have been seriously affected by violence.
• Finally, I will conclude the presentation with a summary and analysis of how the development projects will contribute to more robust economic growth and job creation in the short to medium term.

The message I am conveying is simple: the Jamaican people have persevered, the vision is being realised: growth is at hand.