The six government officials named in Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller’s delegation on a current visit to the United States will be undertaking important business for the country and will return to the island at different times, the Office of the Prime Minister said.

In a statement, the Office of the Prime Minister said the impression was being mistakenly given that the persons named and who will undertake a series of important engagements all left the island together on Tuesday, April 24 and will be away for the duration of the entire visit, returning to the island on Sunday, April 29.

“This is not so,” the statement said.

It explained that the Prime Minister left the island on Tuesday along with the technical team of Dr Carlton Davis and Dr Vin Lawrence, who will be participating in critical talks with the president and other senior executives of Alcoa on matters related to the bauxite/ alumina industry.

They will be joined in those discussions on Wednesday by Energy Minister, Phillip Paulwell, who was in Parliament on Tuesday.

Paulwell and Drs Davis and Lawrence will return to the island on Thursday.

Information Minister, Senator Sandrea Falconer, left the island on Monday evening ahead of Simpson Miller to deal with the TIME Magazine function on Tuesday, at which the Prime Minister, along with the other awardees, were being honoured in TIME’s 100 Most Influential Persons for 2012.

Falconer’s official engagement ends on Wednesday.

The statement said Tourism Minister, Wykeham McNeill, who was already in the USA on official tourism business at the invitation of potential investors, and at no cost to the Government, joined the Prime Minister’s delegation Tuesday to explore and engage tourism opportunities which can flow from her receiving the award.

“This being Minister McNeill’s first trip to this important destination, he will also be reviewing airlift and other matters, including advertising for the North-East USA market,” said the statement. He will return to Jamaica on the week-end.

Advisor Delano Franklyn will join the Prime Minister on Friday for an official reception which the State of Pennsylvania and the business community in Philadelphia are hosting for the Prime Minister.

On Saturday, Simpson Miller will participate in a special Jamaica 50 salute ceremony at the PENN Relays, at which Jamaica’s outstanding performance in the competition over the years will be recognized.

The Prime Minister returns to the island on Sunday.

business@gleanerjm.com