Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) has taken its collaboration with National Commercial Bank (NCB) a step further, by expanding online bill payment, known as Paysmart, to business/corporate clients to pay several tax types. This means NCB business/corporate clients now have the option to add Tax Administration Jamaica as a payee on their eBanking platform. This convenient additional payment option, represents yet another way...

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Daryl Vaz, says that plans are being put in place to procure up to 268 megawatts of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2025. This includes energy from solar and wind technologies, with 70 megawatts from hydro, biomass and waste technologies. “It is my priority to have the Generation Procurement Entity established and...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will be collaborating with community youth groups in St. James on an outreach mask-making project as part of the nation’s coronavirus (COVID-19) response effort. Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, made the disclosure during a COVID-19 youth consultation meeting in Moy Hall, St. James, on October 30. He pointed out...

Importers and exporters are now seeing a faster turnaround time for the approval of certificates and permits through the Trade Board Limited’s online platform. Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. the Hon. Norman Dunn, said that the agency is moving from a two to three-day turnaround time for the processing of transactions to 24...

In recent weeks, there have been several articles/discussions in the media regarding the accreditation of private laboratories for COVID-19 testing. It is critical that we understand what accreditation is and how it impacts our medical testing laboratories and safeguard our health. As the national accreditation body of Jamaica, operating under the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), the Jamaica...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is hailing the decision by the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lift its no-sail order for ships in US ports as a step in the right direction. Speaking in a recent interview with JIS News, Mr. Bartlett said that while it will take some time for full normality...

Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr, has highlighted the importance of multisector collaboration in the development of a holistic urban renewal agenda. “Urban renewal ought to be holistic, not just prioritising the revitalisation of physical infrastructure but also incorporating economic, social and cultural renewal objectives,” he said. “Having a Ministry designated to urban...