Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibilities of Government 

General 
All land must be gazetted for purpose.
– The Government shall provide infrastructural development of crown land  
   gazetted for residential and agricultural purposes for population growth, economic development and commerce.
– All Jamaicans must have equal access to all land on the basis of demonstrated
   ability to purposefully utilize the desired land.
– All land will return to ownership by Government for availability to other
   Jamaicans if unutilized by owner for 20 consecutive years.
– All land utilized for residential purpose must be gazetted as part of a defined
   community.
– The demographic and spatial parameters of all communities, organized in a
   hierarchical arrangement based only upon size, shall be established and
   gazetted by Government
– Every Jamaican citizen shall be a member of a gazetted community
– The community provides the institutional resources for the welfare and
   optimal development of every Jamaican person.
– The establishment and operations of the required institutions within
   communities for the welfare and optimal development of the Jamaican
   person, with convenient access to all citizens, are the responsibilities of the
   organs of the Government of Jamaica
– An organizational hierarchy of capable individuals is required for operations of
   a community.

The leader of every Ministry of Government, Constitutional Body, Statutory Body, Administrative Office or other such Office outlined in this constitution shall generate on the effective date of this constitution, updated annually and ratified by the Parliament:
   1. A management portfolio to include
        a. the objectives of the Office, Body or Ministry
        b. A detailed Personnel structure with Job descriptions
   2. An annual Budget
   3. Annual Financial Reports
   4. Biennial audits by the Auditor General

 

Institutions Necessary for the Welfare and Optimal Development of the Jamaican person.
– schools,
– health professionals – nurses (general, public health, psychiatric), doctors,
– church organizations,
– boy scouts, girl guides,
– music club (equipped facilities),
– sports clubs (cricket, football, netball, volley ball),
– computer labs,
– library,
– police,
– training centres,
– social clubs,
– business organizations

Required inputs for the Welfare and Optimal Development of the Jamaican person
– development of character
– assimilated through instruction:
– education
– nutrition and health
– spiritual awareness
– moral principles
– social and cultural awareness/identity
– general knowledge
– self-discipline
– dignity
– civility
– humility
– ambition
– truthfulness
– self-confidence
– determination
– work ethic
– mental focus
– creativity, and more.

Responsibilities of Citizenship
Every Jamaican must, by adulthood (age 18 years), receive education on civic responsibilities:
– civility, decorum
– consideration for others
– tolerance for others
– knowledge of laws governing personal interactions
– domestic, community, public spaces, roads, private and public institutions.
– Importance of obeying laws
– Voting – Paying taxes
– Community involvement/participation
– Staying informed
– knowledge of portals of information
– obligation for productive activity

Responsibilities of the President

The President is the Chief Executive (or Head) of the Government of Jamaica. It is the function of the President to safeguard the reserves of Jamaica and the integrity of the Public Services of Jamaica, and to perform this function according to the provisions of this Constitution. The President exercises no powers additional to those stated in this Constitution.

The Office of the President

• The Office of the President shall establish formal liaisons with all branches of Government
• The Office of the President shall maintain a full staff of personnel with expertise in each portfolio of Government

Nominations of Government Officials

(All nominations must be approved by majority vote of the Senate.)

• Nominate the Secretary of Administration – 8-year term
• Nominate the Chief Financial Officer (Secretary of Finance) – 10-year term
• Nominate the Chief Judicial Officer (Chief Justice) – 10-year term
• Nominates the Director of Public Prosecutions – 8-year term
• Nominates the Attorney General – 5-year term
• Nominates the Administrator General – 5-year term
• Nominates the Chairman of the Integrity Commission – 8-year term
• Nominates the Commissioners of the Integrity Commission – 5-year term
• Nominates the chief of service of the Jamaica Constabulary Force
• Nominates the chief of service of the Jamaica Defense Force
• Nominates the Chair of the Electoral Commission – 8-year term
• Nominates the Governor of the Bank of Jamaica – 10-year term
• Nominates the Auditor General – 10-year term
• Nominates the Director of the Services Commission – 10-year term

Executive Orders

• National or Regional (Parish or County) Emergencies – specifically military invasion, weather related emergencies/disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, rapidly spreading epidemics

Terminations

• Terminates all nominated and appointed officials upon advice and consent of the Integrity Commission and majority vote of the Senate
• Removes heads of Constitutional Bodies on the recommendation of Parliament

Senatorial Selections

• Selects members of the Senate

Establishes Ministries and Statutory Bodies

• Establishes new or transitional Ministries on the basis of recommendations by the House Leader, in consultation with the Secretary of Administration and Treasury Secretary.
• Establishes statutory bodies on the recommendations of the House Leader, Secretary of Administration and Secretary of the Treasury

Appointments

(All appointments must be approved by majority vote of the Senate)

• Appoints the Governor of the Bank of Jamaica and members of the Board of Governors
• Appoints the Chief Executive of the Office of the Services Commissions.

Annual Budgets

• Promulgates, in consultation with the cabinet and Secretary of the Treasury, and submits to the Parliament for ratification, a balanced annual budget of expenditure.
• Approves/rejects the annual budgets of all ministries, government agencies and statutory bodies. Reviews revised budgets after 3 months.

Commander-In-Chief of Defense Force

• Commander-In-Chief of the Jamaica Defense Force

Bills, Laws, Regulations

• Submits new bills for enactment by majority vote of the Parliament
• Final approval for all bills voted into law by the Parliament
• May withhold approval of any bill unless signed by 2/3 majority of the Parliament

Heads Cabinet

• Shall chair meetings of the Cabinet
• The President shall act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet
• Shall request attendance of Chairperson(s) and one other of Parliamentary Oversight Committees to meetings of the Cabinet.

Removal from Office

• Motion by 1/3 membership of Parliament for permanent mental infirmity, intentional violation of the Constitution, treason, corruption, intentionally or knowingly making a materially false or misleading statement of fact.
• Where the motion has been adopted by not less than half of the total number of Members of Parliament the Chief Justice shall appoint a tribunal of Supreme Court Judges, leadership of Jamaica Council of Churches and the PSOJ to inquire into the allegations made against the President. Where the tribunal reports to the Speaker of the House the President’s disqualification, a vote of 2/3 the membership of the Parliament is required for removal.
• Recall: A petition by 20% of registered voters submitted to the Electoral Office of Jamaica, and a recall election is held. Recalls may be initiated by Citizen Commissions comprising ordinary citizens, members of community organizations, civil society organizations, church organizations, business organizations representing a cross-section of Jamaican society.

Responsibilities of the Cabinet

– Administers the daily undertakings of the Government of Jamaica
– Meets weekly, and as often as necessary on the advice of the President
– Makes recommendations for new projects and new budgetary allocations to
   Parliament.

– Makes recommendations for new laws to the parliament

– Promulgates regulations for the administration of Government services in consultation with the Attorney General.   

– Commissions and de-commissions Statutory Bodies of each ministry for specific activities of Government.   

– Reviews reports, regulations, local laws and budgets provided by Parish Councils for ratification by Parliament.

Responsibilities of Parliament – simple majority vote
– Promulgates the laws of Jamaica
– The level of taxation of the citizens of Jamaica (Income Tax Act)
– Ratifies an annual budget of expenditure upon referral and advice from the
   President and Secretary of the Treasury.
– Generates amended budgets as necessary on the recommendations of Cabinet 

– Promulgates new spending bills upon consultation and advice of Cabinet and
   in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury
– Impeachment of all elected officers of Government
– Generates the annual budget of the Government
– Receives and reviews the audits of all governmental bodies
– Receives and reviews quarterly reports from the Bank of Jamaica
– Interviews any citizen or organization for the purpose of review, update or
   promulgate the Laws of Jamaica, with subpoena power comparable with the
   Supreme Court of Jamaica.
– Promulgates by Act the roles and responsibilities of Constitutional Bodies,
   Ministries of Government and Statutory Bodies.
– Makes recommendations to the President for new Ministries of Government.
– Reviews and authorizes projects for referral to the Financial Authority and
  implementation by the Administrative Branch or Local Administrative and Governance Authority
– Ratifies Parish laws promulgated by the Parish Council
– Ratifies annual Budgets of the Parish Councils in consultation with the
   Treasury
– Ratifies spending bills of the Parish Council in consultation with the Treasury
– Establishes a Minimum Wage for all citizens every 2 years
– Ratifies bills provided by the President. 

– Members of Parliament may submit new bills and proposals for new projects to the House Leader for enactment by majority vote of the Parliament.

– Chairpersons of Parliamentary Oversight Committees and one other committee member shall attend meetings of the Cabinet on the advice of the President.                                                                                                                 

Responsibilities of the House Leader
– Assigns members of the Parliament to committees with portfolio
  responsibilities for each Ministry of Government and the Local Administrative
  and Governance Authority
– Acts as the main representative of the Parliament

Responsibilities of the Secretary of Administration
– Responsibility for administration and effective execution of the policies of
  Government.
– Responsibility for Parish Administrative Authorities
– Develops management policies and recommendations in consultation with
   Deputy Secretaries of Administration and Executive Administrators
   (Permanent Secretaries) for presentation to the cabinet and parliamentary committees.
– Develops budgets with the Deputy Secretaries of Administration, Executive
   Administrators and Parish Administrators in consultation with the Treasury.

Responsibilities of Executive Administrators (Permanent Secretaries)
– Reports to the Deputy Secretary of Administration for Ministries and the
   Secretary of Administration
– Administers the daily operations of the Ministry
– Overall administrative responsibility for assigned Statutory Bodies
– Allocates staff in the numbers and proportions necessary for the day-to-day
   operations of the Ministry
– Develops and implements projects in collaboration with qualified subordinates
   for the improvement of portfolio areas, in consultation with the Deputy
   Secretary and the Secretary of Administration.
– Develops and manage procurement systems in compliance with the laws of
   Jamaica.
– Generates comprehensive annual reports of each portfolio area for public
   consumption

Responsibilities of the Secretary of Finance
– See Financial Authority – Branch – The Government
– Has responsibility for the repository and disbursements of all finances
   authorized by the Parliament, manages the financial resources of the entire
   Government, and allocates financial resources as required by law
– Regulatory authority and oversight of all investment and risk-taking financial
   institutions of Jamaica, in consultation with the Governor of the Bank of
   Jamaica.
– Participates in monetary policy in consultation with the Governor of the Bank
   of Jamaica and the Secretary of Administration

Responsibilities of Parish Administrative Authority
– The effective management and execution of all Government activities locally
– Administrative activities of Area Councils and Municipalities (Area
   Administrative Offices).

Responsibilities of Parish Councils
– Manages the affairs of the Parish in collaboration with Parish Administrators
– Promulgates local laws by majority vote, to be ratified by Parliament.
– Generates new spending bills, for review by Cabinet and to be ratified by Parliament
– Generates annual Parish budget, for review by Cabinet and to be ratified by the Parliament
– Local Building Authority (?part of National Building Authority)
– Impeachment of Parish Councillors

Responsibilities of Constitutional Bodies
Office of the Auditor General
– Auditing – Systematically assess compliance with budgets, forecasting, management and control of the financial resources of every government entity to which finances are allocated biennially.
– Assess the effectiveness of and compliance with procurement systems of all government entities.
– (See existing) 

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
– Prosecution of all citizens of Jamaica who violate the laws of Jamaica
– (See existing)

Electoral Commission
– Registration of Political Parties
– Determination of constituency boundaries based upon demographic and
   geographic criteria promulgated by the Parliament.
– Establish political elections of all elected representatives of the citizens of
   Jamaica every 5 years on the same date of the respective calendar year of the
   first political election under this constitution.
– Promulgates rules governing electioneering activities of all political entities.

Office of the Attorney General
– Legal Adviser to the Government of Jamaica
– (See existing)

Office of the Integrity Commission
– (See existing)

Office of the Administrator General
– (See existing)

Office of the Services Commissions
– (See existing)

Bank of Jamaica
– The Bank of Jamaica shall set the rules for and regulate deposit taking
   institutions, lenders, foreign currency trading, foreign currency remittances,
   to ensure stability of the financial system.
– The Special Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Financial Authority (Monetary
   Policy Committee) headed by the Governor of the Bank of Jamaica sets the
   monetary policy of Jamaica in consultation with the Secretary of Finance and
   the Secretary of Administration.
– The Governor of the Bank of Jamaica signs all bank notes.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force
– (See existing)

The Jamaica Defense Force
– (See existing)

Responsibilities of Statutory Bodies
– Executes specific administrative functions of the Government on the advice of
   the Cabinet and the Executive Administrator of the assigned Ministry  member