Edward Seaga College for Social & Economic Development

Former Prime Minister Michael Manley (right) draws laughter from other former prime ministers;
Hugh Shearer (second right),
Edward Seaga (third right) and
Prime Minister P. J. Patterson, at a reception to mark the 300th anniversary of Kingston at King’s House on October 21, 1992.

Published:Friday | October 27, 2023 | 7:55 AM

Former Prime Minister Michael Manley (right) draws laughter from other former prime ministers; Hugh Shearer (second right), Edward Seaga (third right) and Prime Minister P. J. Patterson, at a reception to mark the 300th anniversary of Kingston at King’s House on October 21, 1992. The four received keys to the city of Kingston.
To commemorate Kingston's tercentennial anniversary (300th year), four eminent figures in Jamaican politics received the keys to the city of Kingston at King's House. Recognised for their exceptional contributions to the nation's development, Rt. Hon. Michael Manley, Rt. Hon. Hugh Shearer, Rt. Hon. Edward Seaga, and Hon. P. J. Patterson were all celebrated in eloquent citations presented by Professor Rex Nettleford, pro-vice chancellor of The University of the West Indies (Mona). Each honoree was lauded for his remarkable accomplishments and dedication.

Published Thursday, October 22, 1992

To commemorate Kingston's tercentennial anniversary (300th year), four eminent figures in Jamaican politics received the keys to the city of Kingston at King's House.

Recognised for their exceptional contributions to the nation's development, Rt. Hon. Michael Manley, Rt. Hon. Hugh Shearer, Rt. Hon. Edward Seaga, and Hon. P. J. Patterson were all celebrated in eloquent citations presented by Professor Rex Nettleford, pro-vice chancellor of The University of the West Indies (Mona). Each honoree was lauded for his remarkable accomplishments and dedication.
FOUR prominent members of Jamaica’s political fold received keys to the city of Kingston yesterday at King’s House, to mark the tercentennial anniversary (300th year) of Kingston.

Rt. Hon. Michael Manley, Rt. Hon. Hugh Shearer, Rt. Hon. Edward Seaga and Hon. P. J. Patterson were all recognised for their contribution to the development of the nation.
Citations, done by Professor Rex Nettleford, pro-vice chancellor of The University of the West Indies (Mona), told glowing tales of the men, their exploits and deeds.

Manley, who demitted office in March this year, was hailed by KSAC Councillor Cynthia Burrell, who read the citation, as the prime minister who made the biggest international impact. He has placed Jamaica on the world map. Councillor Burrell said as a flash of lightning and sounds of thunder greeted the announcement. Manley gesticulated as if inviting the audience to accept nature’s way of saying the speaker’s sounds were dead right.

The start of Shearer’s citation, presented by Roxanne Anderson, 1992 Festival Queen of Kingston and St. Andrew, further whetted the appetite of the audience.

Glowing tributes to present, ex-PMs

“If Jamaica was built by labour (laughter), then Hugh Shearer, one of Jamaica’s foremost and skilled contractors, was one of the chief builders,” she said.

Seaga was hailed for his intellectual toughness – a man with a sense of detail, fixity of purpose and the will to follow through on all he thought was good for the development of his country. His citation was read by Tivoli Gardens Comprehensive School student Leonie Ritchie.

The Opposition leader, in his response, traced the history of Kingston, highlighting its pleasantries as Jamaica’s chief city over the years. Music, religion and sport were emphasised as areas in which Kingstonians have exemplified themselves.

Seaga, however, poked a finger at present-day civic conditions in the capital city. “The presence of refuse and smell of garbage is an insult to our tradition and a danger to our health,'' he said.

Citation reader, KSAC Councillor Sybil Trowers, started by describing P. J. Patterson as a young, gifted … and as members of the audience, chuckled, sat upright in their chairs anticipating the word ‘black’, Councillor Trowers reeled off “and promising son of the soil” when he started his political career.

The prime minister, like Mr Seaga, also gave a historical account of Kingston’s development. He shifted his focus to what he described as “negative aspects of the city’s development”.

“No Jamaican can be happy at the way in which Kingston’s fine housing stock, stretching from west to east, has now degenerated into urban ghettos, under pressure from the exodus from the countryside.

“No Jamaican can accept present behaviours. A better solution has to be found to the problem of providing better transportation for the ever-growing population of students and workers.

“The government has announced a tax incentive programme aimed at stimulating private-sector investment to take the lead in the upgrading of the downtown Kingston area.

The necessary legislation is being drafted and with the tax-free development loans of approved urban areas should permit the revival and modernisation of our capital city through entrepreneurial initiative.” Mr. Patterson said.

Immediate past mayor of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Augustus Williams, was also given the keys to Kingston. His citation was read by Dervan Malcolm, 1992 Festival gold medal awardee in speech.

All presentations were made by Her Worship the Mayor of Kingston Councillor Marie Atkins.

Seaga proud of community’s development
Published Monday, April 26, 1965

Minister of Development and Welfare Edward Seaga declaring the Seprod Youth Centre opened at a function at the centre on Saturday, April 24, 1965. Seated from left are: Felix Fox, managing director of Seprod Ltd, Thelma Campbell, island supervisor of youth clubs, and Edwin Allen, minister of education.

Edward Seaga was among the proud guests present at the opening of the Seprod Youth Centre. Seaga reiterated the importance of investing in youth and why it was important to provide resources and opportunities for them.

DRAWING INFERENCE from the successes of the Victors Youth Club’s dance band and the accomplishment of the Bugle and Drum Corps of the Western Kingston Youth Club, the Hon Edward Seaga, minister of development and welfare, outlined some ways in which youth centres can be beneficial to the Jamaican community.

The minister was speaking at the Seprod Youth Centre, Producers Road, on Saturday, April 24, shortly before he declared the centre open.

It was the second opening of a youth centre in the city. The first centre was opened at Tinson Park in 1964 and the third is expected to come into full use at the Town Moor soon. Four centres have already come into use in the country parishes.

Seaga said that the Bugle Corps had achieved a high standard of performance with the volunteer help of Special Constable Keith Morgan, a man who he said had not received any special training.

This, Seaga said, “is an example of what can be achieved if people will give time”. Seaga offered another example in the Victors Youth Club dance band. These boys, he said, had got together and by hard work and constant practice had reached the standard of performance.

He said the policy of Government was to invest in youth. “If we invest in youth,” he said, “there is plenty to be gained.”

The minister expressed special thanks to Felix Fox, the managing director of Seprod Ltd, who had allowed the centre to be established at the Seprod Sports Club, to be shared by the children of the area with the staff of that company.

Thanks also went to contractor David Elliott who had constructed a large multipurpose court on the premises. The centre has facilities for table tennis, cricket, football, netball, volleyball and basketball.

For the present, the centre will be used by all the children in the area. Seaga said that he hoped that in the near future the children will become enrolled in clubs to keep the spirit of competition. Seaga said that the proper use and care of the centre would result in its expansion for social and recreational activities.

The Hon Edwin Allen, minister of education, implored the youngsters to lift their minds out of the mud and to aspire, and assured them that all good citizens of Jamaica loved them. He said that he could not be convinced that there was not one child in that gathering that would not be a future pope or minister or governor-general.

“The sky is the limit,” he concluded.

The programme of the opening function was punctuated by frequent musical performances by the two bands between speeches, especially to the delight of the younger people.

Other speakers were Thelma P. Campbell, island supervisor of Youth Development Agency, who presided over the function, and the Rev Father Louis Grenier, SJ, who blessed the centre. E.G. Lewis, senior youth clubs organizer, Mr Fox and H. B. Perry, the youth clubs organizer who will be in charge of the centre, who moved the vote of thanks.

Present were KSAC Commissioner Eustace Bird, National Sports chairman Herbert Macdonald, and Youth Development’s Roy Matthews.

Jamaica Stock Exchange inaugurated by Finance Minister Edward Seaga

Published Saturday, February 1, 1969

Minister of Finance and Planning Edward Seaga at the board of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on January 31, 1969, after he had declared it open and taken part in the first transaction. Looking on (from right) are three stockbroker-members of the exchange: Messrs Tony Lloyd, Haglas Golding, and Edward Gayle, and (from left) Sir Neville Ashenheim, Hart Richards, Earle Maynler, and Stanley Motta.

Minister of Finance and Planning, the Hon Edward Seaga, formally inaugurated the Jamaica Stock Exchange, announcing its commencement of trading. The minister outlined two primary objectives for the exchange: facilitating companies in Jamaica by opening up the capital market and allowing Jamaican investors to participate in these companies. Seaga emphasised the government's hope that the exchange would enable private companies to go public, allowing community members to share in the country's means of production ownership.

TWO OBJECTIVES for the Jamaica Stock Exchange – the opening up of the capital market for the assistance of companies in Jamaica and the opening of the doors of those companies to Jamaican investors – were named by the Minister of Finance and Planning, the Hon Edward Seaga, yesterday afternoon.
The exchange will start trading on Monday morning. Minister Seaga said it was the hope of the Government that the Exchange would provide the opportunity for private companies to go public, so as to allow members of the community to have a share in the ownership of the means of production of the country.

Seaga said it was four months ago that there was a ceremony to mark the inauguration of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, which took place on September 16 last year.

Now, they were marking the formal opening of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and the start of trading activities, which would take place on Monday next.

During the interval from September to now, he said, the Jamaica Stock Exchange formulated the rules under which it would operate, and a great deal of cooperation had taken place among the parties who had a vital interest in the matter.

These included the Bank of Jamaica, the Ministry of Finance, and the brokers, who, with the “invaluable assistance” of Mansell Ketchin, of the Toronto Stock Exchange, who was loaned to Jamaica for the purpose, had succeeded in putting together all the rules and regulations that would govern the activities of the exchange in the coming years.

Background

Giving the background to the establishment of the Exchange, Seaga said it had not suddenly arisen. The market had been rapidly growing. In 1963, the value of new issues in 1967, four years later, was £15 million, an increase of over seven times.

With regard to the secondary market, the number of new issues in 1963 was 700. The number of new issues in the secondary market in 1967 was 1,800 - two and a half times as many. The market had risen in four years from £600,000 to £2.5 million.

“A stock exchange cannot exist without a market. This market has been in the process of building up over the past two years, and now, at last, it has arrived,” he declared.

Seaga went on to point out that, in 1963, the number of companies that were in a position to offer shares to the public was 18. In 1967, the number had risen to 31 companies. He was pleased to say that nearly all these companies would be listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

“This growth of transactions in stocks is something that is of great value, great promise, and great assistance for the development of the country,” he declared.

Auction room

Seaga said a stock exchange was nothing more than an auction room in which certain operations took place under certain rules and regulations. But there was a second purpose behind the operation of an exchange and that was to provide an opportunity for those members of the public who sought to make an investment and to those companies that sought the capital.

With a stock exchange, private companies that required capital could go on the market to obtain that capital. At the same time, there was an opportunity for members of the public, through subscriptions to the capital market, to own a piece of the means of production in the economy of their country.

Seaga endorsed remarks that had been made earlier by the governor of the Bank of Jamaica, the Hon G. Arthur Brown, who is also chairman of the council of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, concerning the “democratisation” of businesses in Jamaica.

“As we get closer to being categorised among the developed countries of the world,” Seaga said, “we have to seek means of spreading the ownership of businesses among as many members of the public as is possible.”

One of the means of achieving this, he said, was by way of the unit trust, which permitted the average investor to invest his money without necessarily possessing the investment intelligence to know what was a right investment to make, and which he could do through a properly organised institution such as a unit trust.

Progress was being made with the establishment of a unit trust in Jamaica he said. Someone had been found with the necessary ability and experience to operate it, and it was hoped that arrangements would soon be finalised for that person to come to Jamaica and start the trust.

Here, Seaga stated the two main objectives of the stock exchange and then went on to speak of the need for providing an opportunity for Jamaicans overseas to invest in Jamaica – something that the stock exchange could not easily do, but which was a role that could be admirably filled by Jamaican banks opening overseas branches.

Seaga closed by thanking Ketchin for coming to Jamaica and giving the Jamaica Stock Exchange the benefit of his “wisdom and experience”. He also thanked William Summerville, executive vice-president of the Toronto Stock Exchange, for taking part in the opening ceremony of the local exchange.

On behalf of the government, he thanked all parties concerned for the cooperation that had been given. He thanked the brokers, who had given their time and interest and “every kind of support and cooperation”. He praised the part played by the Bank of Jamaica and named Messrs V. Mendez, of the bank, and H. W. Milner, of his ministry, for personal work in getting the exchange started.

“I close by formally declaring opening the stock exchange and to wish much prosperity, much good luck, and the highest possible standard of activity and integrity,” he said.

Before Seaga spoke, there had been speeches by Brown, Summerville, and Ketchin.

Brown, who welcomed Seaga and introduced Sumerville, took the opportunity to thank the Toronto Stock Exchange for having provided Jamaica with Ketchin’s services.

Commenting on the purpose of the gathering (which he humorously remarked represented 90 per cent of the capital investment in Jamaica), Brown said the establishment of a stock exchange in Jamaica had long been talked about, but a stock exchange was not something that could be created by the fiat of regulation.

Market

A stock exchange, he said is a market in which certain commodities were sold. If there were no commodities, there could be no market, and Jamaica, up to a year or two ago, had no commodities in which to trade, hence there was no stock exchange.

“Now we have reached the stage where there are several stocks that will allow us to start a stock exchange under certain rules and regulations, which have been approved by the government,” Brown said.

After giving iformation of the exchange, the setting of its rules, and the operation of the council, Brown went on to make an appeal for more Jamaican companies to come on the market, so that the public would have more stocks to buy and the exchange would have more transactions to do.

Brown called for more “democratisation” of business in Jamaica, under which private businesses would make ownership in their companies open to more members of the public.



If Jamaica wished to maintain a capitalist society, he said, then the capitalistic system must extend its benefits more widely in the community, at the same time reducing the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”.

With the coming of the exchange, too, he called for a higher standard of business morality and ethics among businessmen, so that the public could feel confident about the activities of the exchange, could know that the businessman’s word was his bond, and that, in stock-exchange dealings, everything would be above board.

Summerville, asked to speak, said the Toronto Stock Exchange was glad to support Jamaica in setting up its stock exchange. He presented gifts to Brown as chairman of the exchange and to the exchange itself.

Gifts

Ketchin, who was also called on to say a few words, said he was happy to have had a hand in setting up the Jamaica Stock Exchange, and hoped that, in years to come, his children and grandchildren, when they came to Jamaica, would be able to point with pride to the exchange and boast that he had a part to play in its establishment.

The final speaker was Willard Samms, a member of the Stock Exchange council and its public relations officer, who said thanks to all who had taken part in the formation of the exchange and in the opening ceremony. He pledged, on behalf of his fellow members of the exchange, “the highest standards of international operation”.

At the end of the speeches, the gathering left the Bank of Jamaica building, where the ceremony took place and went across to 31½ Oliver Place, where the stock exchange is located.

Here, Seaga took part in a real opening of the exchange – two actual transactions in which lots of shares were purchased by two brokers. Seaga himself wrote up the transactions on the big board on which the exchange dealings will be recorded each day.

This episode marked the official opening of the “floor” of the exchange.

Hosts at the function were the chairman, directors, and officers of the exchange. Guests included directors of the Bank of Jamaica, associate members of the exchange, bank managers, representatives of life insurance companies, stock-broking firms, and listed companies on the exchange.

Other specially invited persons were the Hon Victor Grant, the Hon Sir Neville Ashenheim, the Hon Ivan Vaz, Abe Issa, Carlton Alexander, and Winston Mahfood.

Hours before the start of the state funeral for former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Edward Seaga, Jamaicans are gathering along the streets leading to Holy Trinity Cathedral in downtown Kingston, where the life of the man considered one of the founding fathers of independent Jamaica will be remembered.

The Jamaicans of all ages are slowly making their way through the security barriers that are being erected at various points in sections of the capital city.

Marion Carey was one of those persons.

At age 75, Carey is ailing, suffering from diabetes and barely able to walk, but despite the pain she is feeling, she is still making her way to the funeral.

Decked out in her white blouse with a green tie around her neck, Carey, who was seen walking with a cane, declares that she could not miss the occasion for the world.

“Is two night now I don’t sleep. This is an occasion I could not miss. I had to be here,” the woman told Loop News.

The Rt. Hon. Edward Phillip George Seaga, P.C., M.P., LL.D., former Prime Minister (1980-89), Leader of the Opposition since 1989, was born on May 28, 1930 to the late Phillip George Seaga and Erna Seaga (nee Maxwell). He was educated at Wolmer’s Boys’ School in Jamaica and graduated from Harvard University in 1952 with a Bachelor’s Degree in the Social Sciences.

On August 22, 1965 Mr. Seaga married Elizabeth “Mitsy” Constantine, Miss Jamaica 1965. They have two sons, Christopher and Andrew and a daughter Anabella. This marriage dissolved in 1995 and the following year, on June 14, he married Carla Vendryes. They have a daughter.

Mr. Seaga plays tennis, hunts and collects Jamaican folk music. A keen gardener and amateur landscaper, Mr. Seaga has translated his love for plants and flowers into the beautiful Enchanted Garden Resort, which has become a unique attraction in Jamaica. He is also a member of the Kingston Cricket Club, various hunting clubs and the Jamaica S***t Club.

Mr. Seaga’s political career began in 1959 when Sir Alexander Bustamante, the founder of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), nominated him to serve in the Upper House of the Jamaica Legislature in the Legislative Council (later the Senate). His appointment at age 29 made him the youngest member ever appointed to the Legislative Council, which established the framework for national independence in August 1962.

In April 1962 Mr. Seaga was elected Member of Parliament for Western Kingston and he has held that seat for 40 consecutive years. He is the only person who has been re-elected as Member of Parliament for that constituency for more than one term and is the longest serving M.P. in the history of Jamaica. Immediately after winning his seat in 1962, Mr. Seaga was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Development and Welfare. Following the 1967 General Elections, he was made Minister of Finance and Planning and in 1974 he became Leader of the JLP and the Parliamentary Opposition until the General Elections of October 30, 1980 when the Jamaica Labour Party won a landslide victory over the People’s National Party (PNP).

The mandate of Mr. Seaga and the JLP was renewed in the uncontested 1983 General Elections. He remained Prime Minister until February 1989. Mr. Seaga was also Minister of Finance and Planning, and his portfolio included responsibilities for information and culture. Several economic and social programmes, which have had a significant impact on Jamaica’s growth and development, were conceived and initiated by Mr. Seaga.

RIP May 28, 2019

Financial Development
Mr. Seaga has established, encouraged, promoted or introduced several institutions, which have contributed to the modernization and development of the financial sector. These include the Jamaica Stock Exchange (1969), Jamaica Unit Trust (1970), Jamaica Mortgage Bank (1973), National Development Bank (1981), the Agricultural Credit Bank (1981), the Ex-Im Bank (1986) and the Students’ Loan Bureau.

He promoted the modernization of commercial agriculture by introducing high technology and stimulating agricultural enterprise in new crops. He put unused and underutilized publicly owned lands tow work. The highly successful Jamaica National Investment Promotion Ltd. (now JAMPRO), was created by him in 1981 as a one-stop investment organization to promote local and overseas investment in Jamaica.

Under his administration, in the 1980s, the Income and Corporate Tax System was comprehensively reformed and modernized to make it more equitable and efficient. Mr. Seaga also introduced modern computerized technology into the administration and organisation of revenue collection in which each taxpayer would be assigned a Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN). He overhauled the indirect tax system by combining a number of taxes into a single General Consumption Tax (GCT).

As Minister of Finance, Mr. Seaga represented Jamaica as governor of the International Monetray Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank.

Urban and Rural Development and the Environment
In the 1960s Mr. Seaga transformed the country’s then worst slum, “Back-O-Wall”, into a modern, low-income residential community, renamed Tivoli Gardens . Mr. Seaga also established the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) in 1968. Through the UDC the waterfronts of Kingston , Ocho Rios and Montego Bay were developed into major resort, residential, port and office complexes. Among other accomplishments, the UDC has spearheaded the development of Negril as a resort area. Notably, two-thirds of the choice land for development was acquired by the UDC at Mr. Seaga’s initiative to establish a land bank. This formed the basis for planned developments such as Hellshire, Bloddy Bay (Negril), Seville and Auchindown (Westmoreland)).

In 1985 Mr. Seaga established the Metropolitan Parks and Markets (MPM) as a subsidiary of the UDC to be responsible for public cleansing, beautification and the maintenance of the parks and markets in the city of Kingston and other specified urban areas.

Human Resource Development
Mr. Seaga’s most satisfying area of creative endeavour has been the creation of several outstanding social enterprises especially for young people. Among them are the Human Employment and Resource Training Programme (HEART), which began in 1983 and provides job-related training for school-leavers and drop-outs on a wide scale throughout Jamaica.

Cultural Development
He created and established the Jamaica Festival, (in which institutions compete annually in the literary, performing, plastic and graphic arts, as well as culinary skills, leading up to the Independence celebrations. This festival has become the showcase of Jamaican talent and the cradle of our traditional cultural expressions.

In the 1960s while he was Minister of Development and Welfare, Mr. Seaga gave popular music (Ska) its first exposure to the international scene by promoting overseas tours of Jamaican artistes. This laid the foundation for the international emergence of Reggae, now popular worldwide.

International Initiatives
Mr. Seaga promoted the concept of an international “cultural bank” leading to the establishment of the International Fund for the promotion of Culture (IFPC) by UNESCO in the 1970s.

In the 1980s, he played a leading role in the establishment of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) conceived as a “Marshall Plan” for the Caribbean and promoted the concept of a human facility, later adopted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the Short Term Advisory Service (STAS) to provide low-cost short-time expertise from the international private sector for developing countries.

Awards
In 1981 Queen Elizabeth II appointed Mr. Seaga as a member of her Majesty’s Privy Council. Mr. Seaga has also been honoured by several countries:

The Republic of Venezuela – Grand Collar de Libertador (1981)
The Republic of Venezuela – Gold Mercury International Award (1981)
The Republic of Korea – Grand Gwangwa Medal, Order of Diplomatic Service Merit (1981)
The Federal Republic of Germany – Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (1982)
Mexico – Order of the Aztec Eagle (1987)
He is the recipient of several prestigious international awards:
Gleaner Honour Awards: Man of the Year, 1980 and 1981
Avenue of the Americas Association, N.Y. – Gold Key Award (1981)
Pan American Development Foundation Inter-American Man of the Year Development Award (1983)
Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award
United Nations Environment Programme – the Environmental Leadership Awards (1987)

Honorary Degrees
University of Miami, LL.D. (1981)
Tampa University, LL.D. (1982)
University of South Carolina , LL.D. (1983)
Boston University, LL.D. (1983)
Hartford University, LL.D. (1987)

EDWARD SEAGA former Prime Minister Jamaica Kingston Woman embraced while visiting her community

Denham Town school renamed in Edward Seaga’s honour

The Denham Town Infant and Primary School was renamed the Edward Seaga Infant and Primary during a ceremony held on Thursday, June 3.

Member of Parliament for West Kingston, in which the school is located and Local Government Minister, Desmond McKenzie, hailed the contribution of the late prime minister and longtime MP Edward Seaga.

He said it was ‘fitting and timely’ to have the school named in his honour, as he had done so much for the people of West Kingston.

The construction school started in the late 1960s and was open in September 1971, the primary school has a population of over 500 students and is the school of choice by students in the area and surrounding communities.

The infant department has a student population of 138 with five trained teachers, four caregivers and support staff.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who was the guest speaker, praised the staff and students for how well the school and surrounding were kept and knowing Mr Seaga, he would accept nothing less.
Holness urged the community not to let the standard fall.

The school is located on Spanish Town Road in Kingston, next the Denham Town High School.

Former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga (centre), peruses a programme at a ceremony at King’s House in 1992. Others (from left) are former Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Howard Cooke; former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. P. J. Patterson; former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Hugh Shearer; and former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Michael Manley.