Holness in Antigua for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness is currently in Antigua and Barbuda, where he is leading Jamaica’s delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Holness is scheduled to participate in a leaders’ roundtable on Monday morning alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and two other world leaders. The Jamaican delegation also includes Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith. During the conference, Holness is expected to hold bilateral talks with Kagame before representing Jamaica at the Enterprise and Investment Summit on Monday afternoon. Jamaica is among just five countries whose heads of government have been invited to address the summit. The meeting, which runs from November 1 to 4 in St John’s, is being held under the theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”. King Charles III, head of the Commonwealth, is also in attendance. Holness’ participation comes against the backdrop of a government directive imposing an immediate moratorium on official overseas travel across the public sector until March 31, 2027. The measure, introduced to contain expenditure and redirect resources towards recovery and reconstruction following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, applies to Cabinet ministers, ministers of state, permanent secretaries, senior public officers, heads of government agencies and other public sector personnel. The restriction is to remain in place for the rest of the 2026/2027 financial year, subject to limited exceptions. According to a government memorandum, the widespread destruction caused by the hurricane has placed significant pressure on Jamaica’s fiscal resources, prompting the administration to prioritise spending on national reconstruction. READ: Gov’t halts overseas travel for public officials until March 2027