The St. Catherine Health Department is intensifying efforts to strengthen food-safety standards across the parish and will be undertaking a food inspection drive in the Hellshire area of Portmore. According to Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector for St. Catherine, Denese Douglas, officers will undertake rapid inspections to assess the sanitary conditions of food establishments and determine their compliance with licensing...

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has ramped up its public education campaign as it seeks to keep road fatalities below 300 deaths. As of June 11, road deaths are at 124 from 112 crashes. Fatalities decreased by 27 per cent when compared to the prior year, while fatal crashes decreased by 26 per cent when compared with the similar period...

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce is partnering with the Public Procurement Commission on a series of roadshows to sensitise micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) owners on how to benefit more from government contracts. The Public Procurement (Set Asides) Order, 2019 reserves 20 per cent of contracts for MSMEs. This accounts for approximately $37 billion worth of contracts...

Jamaicans are being encouraged to develop a food safety plan this hurricane season to guard against storm-related disruptions to food supplies and limited access to cold storage. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), food prepared in advance or leftovers should be stored either hot (at or above 60°C) or cold (at or below 10°C). This guideline is especially critical...

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, is encouraging the academic community to provide feedback on the Green Paper for the National Policy on Culture, Entertainment and the Creative Economy. The Policy was tabled in the House of Representatives by the Minister. “Critique it, strengthen it, and help shape its final form,” she said in her address...

The Administrator-General’s Department (AGD) is reporting a significant increase in small estate applications since being authorised in August 2024 to administer estates valued up to $1.5 million. Data obtained by JIS News reveal that in fiscal year 2025/26, the AGD received 124 applications, compared to just 39 in 2023/24. The AGD received 147 applications in 2024/25 when the estate value...

Discussions with the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Company for a new electricity licence are under way, and the necessary legal, policy and stakeholder consultation processes are progressing. The Green Paper on Electricity Sector Reform is also on track for completion in July, with Cabinet submission expected later that month. The update was provided by Minister of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications,...