Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Donovan Stanberry, is advising colleagues in the public sector to plan for their retirement so that they can enter that phase of life with dignity.
The permanent secretary offered this advice on Wednesday, March 15, as he addressed former members of staff of the Ministry at a special retirement ceremony held in their honour at The Knutsford Court Hotel in St Andrew.
With years of service ranging from eight to 40 years, respectively, the 31 retirees were lauded for their cumulative 924 years of service to the former Ministries of Industry and Commerce and Agriculture and Fisheries.
Mr Stanberry told the retirees that public servants were special people and thanked them for the labour of love they had rendered to the country through their work in the public service.
Also delivering an address at the function, guest speaker the Most Hon. Prof. Denise Eldemire-Shearer thanked the retirees for their contribution to national growth by way of their service in what could be considered one of the most important Ministries.
Eldemire-Shearer, who is Professor of Public Health and Ageing at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and also chair of the National Council for Senior Citizens, pointed to the trend that most retirees will live for 20 to 25 years during their retirement years, and would therefore need an income.
Against this background, she said the issue of pensions was an important one that had to be faced by the country, given that some 66 per cent of Jamaicans had no pensions.
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Contact:
Director, Communication & Public Relations
Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries
Hope Gardens, Kingston 6
T – 618-7128; E: pr2@micaf.gov.jm; daoconnor@micaf.gov.jm
Facebook – https.www.facebook.com\agriministryja
Twitter – https.www.twitter.com\agriministryja

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Donovan Stanberry, is advising colleagues in the public sector to plan for their retirement so that they can enter that phase of life with dignity.
The permanent secretary offered this advice on Wednesday, March 15, as he addressed former members of staff of the Ministry at a special retirement ceremony held in their honour at The Knutsford Court Hotel in St Andrew.
With years of service ranging from eight to 40 years, respectively, the 31 retirees were lauded for their cumulative 924 years of service to the former Ministries of Industry and Commerce and Agriculture and Fisheries.
Mr Stanberry told the retirees that public servants were special people and thanked them for the labour of love they had rendered to the country through their work in the public service.
Also delivering an address at the function, guest speaker the Most Hon. Prof. Denise Eldemire-Shearer thanked the retirees for their contribution to national growth by way of their service in what could be considered one of the most important Ministries.
Eldemire-Shearer, who is Professor of Public Health and Ageing at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and also chair of the National Council for Senior Citizens, pointed to the trend that most retirees will live for 20 to 25 years during their retirement years, and would therefore need an income.
Against this background, she said the issue of pensions was an important one that had to be faced by the country, given that some 66 per cent of Jamaicans had no pensions.
-30-
Contact:
Director, Communication & Public Relations
Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries
Hope Gardens, Kingston 6
T – 618-7128; E: pr2@micaf.gov.jm; daoconnor@micaf.gov.jm
Facebook – https.www.facebook.com\agriministryja
Twitter – https.www.twitter.com\agriministryja