The Government will be undertaking a number of development projects in rural areas under the ninth cycle of the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF 9). Works will be carried out to improve water, sanitation and transportation services; enterprise development; access to education and development of human resource, including improving livelihoods. Being implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) through...

The Government has allocated $88.84 billion in the 2018/19 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives, for debt repayment this year. Of this sum, the lion’s share of $58.6 billion will go towards repaying Jamaican dollar benchmark investment notes issued under the Jamaica Debt Exchange/National Debt Exchange (JDX/NDX) initiatives. The second largest provision of $17 billion is earmarked...

The Government will be spending $12 billion to improve road infrastructure across the island in the upcoming fiscal year under the Major Infrastructure for Development Programme (MIDP). The funds have been provided in the 2018/19 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. Among the projects is the widening of Hagley Park Road in Kingston to four lanes. Improvements...

Work will continue on the Palisadoes Shore and Road Project in the next fiscal year, with additional budgetary support of $5 million. The money has been set aside in the 2018/19 Estimates of Expenditure and will be used to undertake the continued monitoring of mangroves under the environmental sub-project. The overall project aims to protect the integrity and viability of...

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has expressed deep sadness at the death of former head of the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) and prominent public sector leader Hon. Noel Hylton, OJ. Mr. Hylton died yesterday (February 24) after a brief illness. Prime Minister Holness has hailed Mr. Hylton as a nation builder. “The Hon. Noel Hylton served Jamaica with distinction over...

Prime Minister Andrew Holness left the island this morning to attend the 29th Inter-sessional meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Port-au-Prince Haiti. Prime Minister Holness will lead Jamaica’s position on several matters key to regional integration including the full implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), Disaster Management, Climate Change...

A two-day meeting of Caribbean governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) gets underway on Monday (Feb. 26), at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston. The seventh annual Caribbean Governors’ Meeting is being hosted by the Bank of Jamaica under the theme: ‘Jump Caribbean.’ It will focus on helping the Caribbean to embrace the digital revolution as a developmental...

Stricter rules are coming for how the country’s Justices of the Peace (JPs) operate, following the passage of the Justices of the Peace Act, 2018 in the Upper House on Friday (February 23). The Bill, which was passed with five amendments, is aimed at strengthening the regime governing the functions of JPs. It provides for codifying the selection, appointment, discipline,...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is reporting that Jamaica recorded increased visitor arrivals to the island, for the first two months of the year. “We ended January at 12 per cent over last year, and February is still going ahead of last year,” the Minister said, while speaking at a cocktail reception held at the Terra Nova Hotel on...