To date, 59 housing units have been completed under the Indigent Housing Programme, with work in progress on an additional 19. The programme, which is delivered under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development’s Municipal Social Assistance (MSA) programme, is designed to address the housing crisis among the poor and most vulnerable. Addressing a recent official handover ceremony for...

Members of the Tivoli Gardens Drum Corps are honing their talents on brand-new musical instruments, which were procured through a $2-million grant from the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports, and Education (CHASE) Fund. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CHASE Fund, W. Billy Heaven, officially handed over the pieces of equipment, which include drums and trumpets, during a recent ceremony held...

Motorists with outstanding traffic tickets are being implored to take advantage of the period of reprieve being provided by the Government, to settle those matters before the new Road Traffic Act and Regulations take effect on Wednesday (Feb.1). Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Audley Shaw, made the call, during debate on the Road Traffic (Reprieve and Nullification of Prescribed...

Each year, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) spends more than $40 million for tuition payments, educational grants and school supplies for children in State care. The money benefits wards of the State at the early-childhood level all the way through to the tertiary level. This was disclosed by Director, Children and Family Programmes, CPFSA, Warren Thompson, during...

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, says primary schools are prepared to facilitate the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations, which begin February 16. She noted that this year will be the first post-COVID sitting of the exam, following various interventions put in place to navigate the challenges and learning loss caused by the pandemic over the last three...

Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Chairman, Julian Mair, says he is optimistic about the continued growth of the financial sector, particularly the securities industry, in light of Government-programmed changes to the regulatory framework consequent on recent developments. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, on Monday (January 23), announced that a Twin Peaks model of financial...

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) operators will soon be able to use their Intellectual Property (IP) as collateral to access loans from financial institutions. This was disclosed by Executive Director of the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO), Lilyclaire Bellamy, during an interview with JIS News on Thursday (January 26). Ms. Bellamy said the Security Interests in Personal Property Act,...