Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the opening of the new Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa in Rose Hall, St. James, is another testament to Jamaica’s status as the top Caribbean destination for high-end travel. Addressing the opening ceremony on September 24, the Minister said he is “extremely happy” to see the commitment being made by insurance...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says unmasking the full economic potential of tourism remains at the heart of the region’s quest for sustainable and inclusive growth. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Mr. Bartlett noted that authorities in the region have been aggressively seeking to leverage tourism as a source of local economic development (LED). He argued that...

The Social Development Commission (SDC) will be hosting its inaugural Downtown Home and Furnishing Fair on September 30, to showcase furniture makers and artisans from the downtown Kingston area. The fair, which is being held in collaboration with the National Housing Trust (NHT), the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), HEART Trust/NTA and private-sector entities, is slated to begin at 2:00...

Jamaica and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have signed a five-year country cooperation strategy agreement. The agreement was signed on September 26 by Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton and the Director of PAHO, Dr. Carissa Etienne, at PAHO Headquarters in Washington DC. The agreement will see Jamaica benefiting from technical cooperation in health for the next...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says that come November, an additional 250 young people will be recruited by the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) under the Jamaica National Service Corps (JNSC). He said the new recruits will represent the second cohort drafted under the JNSC, which is the JDF’s new intake mechanism, following an initial 234 young people who...

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) and the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) will be hosting Jamaica’s inaugural Natural Gas Conference from October 4 to 6. The conference, themed ‘New Horizons: The Development of a Natural Gas Sector in Jamaica – Prospects and Challenges’, will be held at The Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston. Deputy Director General at the OUR, Hopeton...

Divestment of the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) is being touted as an excellent example of an innovative approach to developing, promoting and executing infrastructural projects with private-sector participation. This is according to Counsellor and Head of Development Cooperation, Canadian High Commission, and Representative, Global Affairs, Canada, Walter Bernyck, who noted that this private-public partnership (PPP) approach has worked well...

Head of the Trade Agreements Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Symone Betton-Nayo, says the services sector remains an untapped area that offers tremendous opportunity for Jamaica’s economic growth and development. The service sector includes economic activities such as retail, banking, hospitality, entertainment, real estate, education, health, social work, recreation, media, communications, electricity, gas, water...

The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) has established a charity fund to assist Caribbean islands ravaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. JHTA President, Omar Robinson, made the disclosure while addressing stakeholders attending the 27th annual Jamaica Product Exchange at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, recently. He said the entity has kick-started the support with a US$10,000 contribution. “Our hearts...