Minister of Labour and Social Security, Karl Samuda, is calling for stiffer penalties, for child labour and child abusers.

This, as he says abuse is an impediment, to the development of children, which leads to them not unlocking their full potential.

He believes stiffer penalties will deter those who continue to abuse children.

Mr. Samuda says abuse stymies the natural growth path of children, as they become preoccupied with having to work to survive.

He notes that penalties bring results and if Jamaica adopts stiffer penalties, along with identifying where the incidence of child abuse occurs, then it would give the children a better opportunity to excel.

Mr. Samuda bemoans the extent to which the efforts of the government have been set back as a result of the covid19 pandemic, noting the role that teachers and other professionals in education play in helping to curtail the problem.

The labour minister emphasizes that Jamaica cannot afford to lose the talents of its youngsters because of abuse.

He was delivering the keynote address at the 2021 child labour online poster competition awards ceremony put on by the ministry of labour and social security in Kingston at the weekend.