About Us
ABOUT THE UIC
The UIC is a political movement committed to creating the Nonpartisan Constitutional Republic of Jamaica that protects the life, liberty and property of all Jamaicans equally; while providing a safe, clean and orderly society where every citizen may live, earn and retire with dignity.
It was registered as Jamaica’s third political party by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica on December 12, 2019, with our founder, Joseph L. Patterson, BAccS, CPA, CGA, as our President, supported by his wife, Charlet Messado-Patterson, Executive Assistant; Nayehama Grandison, Vice President and Official Agent; Shellian Gayle, General Secretary; and Keneisha Dixon, Treasury Secretary.
Our vision is “A Jamaica that brings out the best in all its People.”
Our mission is to create “A nonpartisan constitutional Republic of Jamaica that fully protects individual liberty, promotes personal responsibility and empowers every citizen to realize their full potentiality.”
Our core values are “equal opportunity, equal rights and equal justice for all.”
Key Plans:
- We will reduce the size and red tape of government so that it costs you no more than 10% of your income in taxes and leaves you with 90% to spend and invest as you see fit.
- We will reduce the GCT to 10% and dedicate it to ensuring every child gets the nutrition, education, housing, and healthcare necessary to learn, grow and succeed.
- We will eliminate property taxes, custom duties and all other unfair fees and taxes to give you full access to the best and cheapest products and technologies from around the world to grow your business and enjoy a higher standard of living.
- We will make your life easier by systematically eliminating government red tape and corruption by moving to a fully digital economy with special provisions for the elderly and disabled.
- We ensure every community is safe, clean and orderly; looks, smell and feels like a tourist destination; with every citizen having a fixed address, adequate streetlights, sidewalks, street signs, indoor plumbing and water, metered electricity and high-speed internet access.
SAFE, CLEAN & ORDERLY
The UIC holds that the key to national success is the protection and empowerment of the individual, families and our communities by focusing the government on providing a very safe, clean and orderly society at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers.
With such an environment and a truly free and fair market economy, everyone who wants to work, start or grow a business will be fully empowered to do so. This will multiply the creation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and jobs to meet the needs of every decent citizen who wants to work, trade value for value with others, and enjoy the fruit of their labour in peace and prosperity.
THE COST OF GOVERNMENT
The UIC will cut the size, cost and red tape of government to reduce the burden on taxpayers. At the same time, we will focus our limited tax dollars on creating a safe, clean and orderly environment that protects and empowers every individual to achieve their full potential as a human being.
The tax system will be simplified to a single 10% income tax and a 10% sales tax. The first will meet all the operating costs of government, while the latter will be dedicated to the proper nutrition, education, housing and healthcare for low-income families. There will be no other taxes, no exemptions, no special treatment. Every individual will pay 10% of their earnings to ensure a safe, clean and orderly society that cares for and protects everyone.
With this approach, the government will be on a tight budget like the rest of us and will no longer be able to simply raise taxes to cover mismanagement, corruption and waste. It will be smaller, leaner and more careful in how it spends our tax dollars. Politicians will no longer live in luxury while the rest of us live like indigents or paupers.
Tax revenues will go up due to low rate, simplicity and ease of compliance. Citizens being able to keep 90% of their earns will no longer seek to hide from the “taxman”. They will be encouraged to leave the informal sector and join the formal economy; and they will be proud of the safe, clean and orderly society that paying their taxes brings.
A TRUE CONSTITUTION
The government must exist to serve the People, not the People Government.
The UIC holds that every human being has a right to do with their life, liberty and property as they wish, provided they do not infringe on the life, liberty and property of others. To this end, the primary role of government is to protect the individual's liberty and ensure the physical security of every citizen equally by providing a safe, clean and orderly society.
To restore the honour and dignity of our race, the UIC will make Jamaica a Non-partisan Constitutional Republic (NCR) where every citizen is sovereign. No more queen, governor-general or parliament of partisans, just a United Independents’ Congress where the voice of all who love freedom and respect the right over everyone to their life, liberty and property will be represented.
Political parties and private campaign financing will no longer be a factor in the electoral process. The focus will be on family, community and national development issues, instead of on partisan or tribal politics.
There will be no parties, party colours, party symbols, leader of the opposition or opposition benches under our new system. Instead, elected representatives will live in the constituency they represent and be only beholden to their constituents, and never again to any party or campaign donor.
The Prime Minister, Senators, like Members of Parliament now, will be elected by the People directly in national, parish and constituency elections respectively.
The Head of State and Head of Government will be combined into one role as President and will be accompanied by 3 Vice Presidents (one elected from each county in their county elections).
Ministers of Government will no longer be drawn from the Senate or Parliament but will be nominated by the Executive (President and VPs), vetted publicly by the Senate as to qualification and abilities, and then voted in or out by the Members of Parliament which shall consider the recommendation if the Senate.
The Judiciary shall be similarly nominated by the Executive from among the most qualified Jamaicans to oversee our courts. The Senate will likewise vet the nominees publicly and the Members of Parliament will vote such persons in or out upon the request of the Executive branch of the government.
This new structure will create a very strong system of checks and balances or internal controls with the Executive, Senate and House of Representatives being independent persons and bodies without party affiliation or any external financial support. Each position must deliver for their constituents or risk not being re-elected.
The mandate of the government shall be to protect the life, liberty and property of every citizen by providing a safe, clean and orderly society so that everyone may live, work and retire with dignity.
This above includes but is not limited to an efficient and effective justice system, police and public health services along with well-maintained roads, sidewalks, street names, signs and lights, manicured green spaces, bike lanes, public parks, community centres, washrooms, protected forests, energy, water and food security, border patrol, army reserves and national emergency preparedness.