This Policy represents the government's commitment to ensure that the country’s mineral resources support sustainable national development and contribute to sustainable prosperity and thus establishes a framework for improving the country’s approach to developing its minerals sector, managing its mineral resources and mining activities. The Policy therefore addresses the regulation of mineral exploitation activities, in order to establish inter-sectoral harmony, to mitigate environmental hazards and to minimise effluent and waste of resources. Based on the notion that a profitable and well-functioning minerals and mining sector will contribute to sustainable development, the Policy vision aims at strengthening the country's role as a contributor to sustainability, globally competitive, diversified, focused on value addition and co-existing with competing interests in the wider economy. The Policy covers the following topics: maximising the economic and social benefits of mineral exploitation for the population; ensuring Jamaica’s mineral wealth is protected and supports sustainable national development while minimising the negative impacts on communities and the natural environment; stimulating an internationally competitive investment environment for the minerals sector; protecting the country's geological information; ensuring the integration of the mineral sector into community and national development plans; establishing institutions that will train competent persons to effectively manage and facilitate the sector’s continued development and harmony with other segments of the economy; improving diversification and value added production; improving mineral land and resources management. The Policy is inspired by the following guiding principles: commitment to the rule of law, transparency and accountability; progressive public policy framework; commitment to sustainability, effective environmental stewardship, pollution prevention and the application of industrial symbiosis and the ecosystem approach; continued value-addition, local skills development and a strong research and development approach; responsible investors and a strong culture of corporate social responsibility. The Policy aims at achieving the following goals and related objectives: 1) modernising the framework for sustainable minerals use to optimise the sector’s benefits to national development; 2)improving the competitiveness of the sector, through diversification, value-addition and the adaptation of international best practices; 3) improving occupational health and safety, community relations and environmental stewardship throughout the sector; 4) increasing efficiencies through the sector, by encouraging research and development for innovation; 5) educating and training Jamaicans in support the development of the sector; 6) facilitating economic benefit optimisation and increased participation of Jamaicans in all levels of the sector.
Jamaica · 2017-01-01