Voices Magazine Vol3-Issue 1

VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica | April - June 2019 8 T he 6th annual Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture hosted by the Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Leadership (JDSEEL) UTech, Jamaica in collaboration with the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation, was held on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at the Shared Facilities Building, Papine Campus. The Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture honours the vision, mission and passion of the late corporate leader and JMMB co-founder, Joan Duncan, for whom the Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship, Ethics land Leadership has been named. The lecture was delivered by Jeanette Calder, civil society advocate and Executive Director of the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP). She spoke on the theme “Reducing Corruption and its Impact on Jamaica’s Development”. In her presentation Miss Calder argued that the present environment in Jamaica, aided by enabling legislation, press freedom and a robust system of oversight agencies, parliamentary oversight committees and the persistent agitation by civil society, makes for a “ripe environment” to tackle the scourge of corruption impacting the country. Defining corruption simply as “the abuse of public office for private benefit or gain,” the civil society advocate shared examples of poor governance at play in several national institutions. She pointed to some of these cases uncovered by Auditor General Reports dating back from as far as 1967. Calder told the large gathering of educators, students and a host of persons from the private and public sector, non-governmental representatives and representatives of civic groups, that current data estimates that corruption is costing Jamaica upwards of 5 – 10% of GDP or about J$94.6 billion annually, using the conservative figure of 5% of Jamaica’s GDP. In advancing some concrete solutions to reducing corruption, Ms. Calder highlighted a new technology-based digital accountability tool box innovation being developed by JAMP to empower ordinary citizens of Jamaica to access the information they need to participate in the accountability and governance framework, in support of Jamaica’s growth and development. The tool for example will point users to the names of accountable officers in government and public sector institutions and provide updates on the status of corrective measures being taken to address breaches. Other speakers at the le cture were Dr. Haldane Johnson, AVP, Teaching and Learning, University of Technology, Jamaica, who represented University President, Professor Stephen Vasciannie and Mrs. Patricia Sutherland, Chairman, JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation. Mrs. Patricia Sutherland, Chairman, JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation. 6 th Annual Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture Ms Jeanette Calder, civil society advocate and Executive Director of the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP) makes a point during her delivery of the 6th annual Joan Duncan Memorial Lecture hosted by the Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Leadership (JDSEEL), University of Technology, Jamaica in collaboration with the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at the Shared Facilities Building, UTech, Jamaica Papine Campus.