The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has joined the celebration of Groundation Day which commemorates the 1966 visit to Jamaica of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia. In her message, Minister Grange said: “That April 21 was an unforgettable day in Jamaican history when 100,000 Rastafari from all over Jamaica descended on Palisadoes Airport...

Chief Medical Technologist at the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland, Marcia Hastings, has hailed medical laboratory professionals in the parish for the vital role they play in the public health sector. According to Ms. Hastings, medical laboratory professionals continue to labour behind the scenes performing critical scientific work for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In an interview with...

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has issued a Consultation Document, inviting comments on proposals to improve access and choice in the telecommunications sector for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). The OUR affirms that access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT), must be made as equitable as possible, given the increasingly central role of digital communication. It is also evident that...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) is now accepting online payments for work permits as it moves closer towards rolling out a new web-based work permit system by 2022. The new system is being implemented as part of the public-sector transformation programme aimed at improving efficiency across the public service. The programme is being spearheaded by the Transformation...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the training of more than 7,000 hospitality workers has been done as a key strategy to reposition the industry for the post COVID-19 era. Mr. Bartlett, who was opening the 2021/2022 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on April 20, said the Government is committed to developing a competitive and productive workforce...

The Government is looking to develop a contingency plan designed to pilot the tourism industry’s recovery from the economic fallout sparked by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said that this is in recognition that some of the partners and stakeholders in the sector are experiencing some “cash crunch difficulties” as a result of COVID-19. He said...

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has undertaken a review of its domestic violence intervention policy and protocols. This was disclosed by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, during a statement to the House of Representatives on April 20. He said more than 300 supervisors and managers have had domestic violence intervention training since 2020, with 168 [receiving training] in...