Jamaica has made notable strides in advancing disability inclusion, steadily building a stronger culture of belonging for vulnerable group of persons. Over the past four years, the country has implemented key aspects of the Disabilities Act, alongside public education and sensitisation initiatives, to promote equal access, opportunities, and rights for persons with disabilities. Addressing a recent Think Tank, Executive Director...

The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) is anticipating full recovery in economic activity after Hurricane Melissa within two to three years. BOJ Governor, Richard Byles, says this is faster than the previous estimate of three to four years. “This improved recovery outlook anticipates a faster rebound in agricultural activity and factors in a faster than initially anticipated recovery in electricity and...

Chief Executive Officer of the Agro-Investment Corporation (AIC), Vivion Scully, has hailed the Matching Grant Scheme (MGS) as an important investment by the Government in the country’s farmers. An initiative under the Southern Plains Agricultural Development (SPAD) Project in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the United Kingdom (UK) government, the initiative provides small and medium-sized farmers with...

The Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester has received a donation of 44 hospital beds from the Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation in partnership with Project CURE. The items, which were handed over at the public health facility on Saturday (February 21), will expand capacity at the hospital and enhance patient comfort. Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Alwyn Miller, expressed...

Outgoing Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Chair and Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is urging continued cooperation and intelligence sharing among member states to tackle transnational organised crime and gangs. Addressing Tuesday’s (Feb. 24) opening ceremony of the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Holness noted that...

The Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, has officially launched the Greenhouse Clusters and Cooperative Infrastructure Upgrade Project to strengthen year-round agricultural production by investing in climate-resilient practices in rural farming communities. The project, funded with an investment of $880.4 million under the Second Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI-II), will deliver 95 greenhouses in community clusters across...

The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has unanimously agreed to lower the policy rate on overnight placements by deposit-taking institutions by 25 basis points, bringing it to 5.5 per cent per annum. Speaking during the Quarterly Monetary Policy Report press conference at the BOJ auditorium in downtown Kingston on Tuesday (February 24), Governor, Richard Byles, said the...