The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation are to collaborate on an indigent housing project for a family from the Delveland area in the parish.  During a tour in Westmoreland on July 15, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, visited the family of six, who are currently living in a small one-bedroom board dwelling.  He described their situation as “appalling” and noted that the Government intends...

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says the Government intends to spend approximately $80 million to rehabilitate the Negril Fruit & Vegetable Market in Westmoreland. Mr. McKenzie toured the facility on Thursday, July 15, where he identified a number of issues. He told journalists that due to the state of the market, vendors opt to ignore...

Jamaica recorded declines in import expenditure and export earnings during the January to March 2021 quarter, relative to the corresponding period in 2020. Data from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) show that imports were valued at just over US$1.3 billion, representing a 2.3 per cent decline, while exports earnings totalled US$354.6 million, a decrease of 0.1 per cent. STATIN...

Data from the April 2021 Labour Force Survey of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) show a significant level of compliance with coronavirus (COVID-19) control measures. STATIN’s Director General, Carol Coy, says the findings show that 94.8 per cent of persons stayed inside their place of residence during curfew hours. Additionally, Ms. Coy said 90.7 per cent of individuals wore...

Inaccurate or misleading food-labelling information that hinders consumers’ ability to make proper nutritional choices is an issue the Government is seeking to address, by informing and educating key stakeholders in the food industry. This is against the background of the results of the ‘Assessment of Fats in the Jamaica Food System’ study, which reveals that the labels on some packaged...

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, says schools must make it their mission to rank among the best institutions globally. “We must get to that point in our evolution as a Jamaican people, in which we are known globally as students that are high-achieving, students that excel, not just some students but all our students,” the Minister...

The Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) is reporting that there has been marked improvement with compliance in all areas assessed by the organisation in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Area 5 Division, since the reinspection of police stations under the PCOA’s Accountability Framework Initiative. The Accountability Framework Initiative has four phases: the Transforming Our Police Service (TOPS) Competition, held in...