Prior to his latest appointments, Mr. Paulwell served as a Government Minister in the People’s National Party administration between January 1998 and September 2007 as Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology. During the past administration, 2011 – 2016, he served as Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining and Leader of Government Business in the House.
His appointments to the Executive began in 1995 when he was appointed to the Upper House as a Senator where he served until 1997. He served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce during the same period.
He entered the Lower House as a Member of Parliament in 1997 after winning the election in the constituency of Kingston East and Port Royal. His electoral victory in December 2011 marks the beginning of his fourth consecutive term of political representation in this populous section of the Kingston Metropolitan Area
Among his many achievements as a Government Minister and Member of Parliament, Mr. Paulwell is credited with the liberalization of the telecommunications sector. In 2000 he was the recipient of the Gleaner Honour Award for implementing historic measures to break the 25-year telecommunications monopoly and introduce competition in the sector. He was also recognized by international organizations including the International Telecommunications Union as well as the Caribbean Telecommunications Union. In 2015, he was accorded the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander (CD) for over 20 years of distinguished service to Parliament.
During his tenure as Minister with portfolio responsibility for Energy, he has been credited with giving momentum to the diversification of Jamaica’s Energy sources and the promotion and facilitation of millions of dollars of investment in wind and solar energy.
Prior to 1995, Mr. Paulwell served in very senior positions in the Government of Jamaica – Legal Officer of the Jamaica Commodity Trading Company Limited, Executive Director/ Trade Administrator of the Trade Board Limited and first Executive Director of the Fair Trading Commission.
Those appointments followed his graduation from the University of the West Indies (LL.B Hons, 1986) and the Norman Manley Law School (Certificate in Legal Education, 1988). While pursuing his graduate studies, he also served as part time Lecturer and Tutor in Company Law at the Excelsior Community College and the College of Arts Science and Technology (now the University of Technology).