A total of 507 persons were refused entry into the island and 138 others were deported for the period April 2016 to March 31, 2017, as the Government continues to implement measures to protect the country’s borders. This was disclosed by Minister of National Security, Hon. Robert Montague, during his contribution to the 2017/18 Sectoral Debate in the House of...

A Beach Management Plan has been prepared for all of the island’s publicly owned or managed recreational beaches, and is to be examined by Cabinet. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, says this is being done to upgrade public beaches. Making his contribution to the 2017/18 Sectoral Debate in the House...

Come June 1, the Government will increase its budgetary allocation to the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) by 30 per cent. This will benefit some 360,000 persons who are on the programme, says Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson. Making her contribution to the 2017/2018 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, on April...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, says a study is being undertaken for the implementation of an electronic titling system by the National Land Agency (NLA). The study is being done with the assistance of the World Bank. It will involve a tour of Land Information New Zealand by a team...

The Legal Aid Council of the Ministry of Justice is reporting a significant uptake of the services of its Mobile Justice Unit since its roll-out in underserved communities across Jamaica in January. Some 450 persons from 24 communities received legal support through the Unit in the first three months. In January, it visited six communities and engaged 140 persons; in...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, is encouraging high-school and tertiary students to write a plan for their goals, to expand their horizons and to believe in themselves. Delivering the keynote address at a career symposium for the Career Advancement Programme (CAP) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) students at St. Elizabeth...

Chief Information Officer at the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), André Williams, says implementation of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) has significantly improved the effectiveness and efficiency of operations at the entity. The ASYCUDA, which is a web-based system designed to transform the agency to a paperless operation through the use of electronic documents, was introduced a few years...

As Jamaica joins the world in observing World Day for Safety and Health At Work, it gives me great pleasure to report that the long-awaited Occupational Safety and Health Bill has been tabled in Parliament. This landmark legislation embodies the Ministry’s deep desire to ensure that every Jamaican worker can enjoy decent condition of work, consistent with human dignity. Decent...

Two hundred new businesses are to benefit from $26 billion in support by the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) this fiscal year. This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, who said this support is in addition to an anticipated $7 billion in loan approvals. The Minister was making...