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Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks (left) with His Imperial Highness, Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie and Princess Saba Kebede, at a dinner held in the Prince’s honour at the Ambassador’s official residence in Washington DC on Friday (March 3).
Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks (left) with His Imperial Highness, Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie and Princess Saba Kebede, at a dinner held in the Prince’s honour at the Ambassador’s official residence in Washington DC on Friday (March 3).

PHOTOS: Ambassador Marks Hosts Dinner for Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie

Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (second right) and Chief Executive Officer, National Health Fund (NHF), Everton Anderson (second left), display signed copies of the agreement for the National Drug Prevalence Study. The signing ceremony was held recently at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices. They are flanked by Head of the Department of Government and Deputy Director, Centre for Leadership and Governance, University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Dr. Lloyd Waller (left) and Executive Director, National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA), Michael Tucker. The Centre for Leadership and Governance will undertake the study with an emphasis on alcohol misuse.
Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (second right) and Chief Executive Officer, National Health Fund (NHF), Everton Anderson (second left), display signed copies of the agreement for the National Drug Prevalence Study. The signing ceremony was held recently at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices. They are flanked by Head of the Department of Government and Deputy Director, Centre for Leadership and Governance, University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Dr. Lloyd Waller (left) and Executive Director, National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA), Michael Tucker. The Centre for Leadership and Governance will undertake the study with an emphasis on alcohol misuse.

PHOTOS: Signing Ceremony for National Drug Prevalence Study
Corporate Planner Universal Service Fund (USF), Nepatra Bennett (right) and Programme Manager, Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance, Alexia Beckford (second right), engages with President of the USF’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Club at Central High School, Sania Smith (second left), and Treasurer Rihanna Bennett. Occasion was the recent launch of the club at the school in Clarendon.
Corporate Planner Universal Service Fund (USF), Nepatra Bennett (right) and Programme Manager, Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance, Alexia Beckford (second right), engages with President of the USF’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Club at Central High School, Sania Smith (second left), and Treasurer Rihanna Bennett. Occasion was the recent launch of the club at the school in Clarendon.

PHOTOS: USF ICT Club Launched at Central High School
President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Oral Heaven, addresses journalists at the entity’s headquarters at Freeport in Montego Bay, St. James, on Thursday, March 2.
President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Oral Heaven, addresses journalists at the entity’s headquarters at Freeport in Montego Bay, St. James, on Thursday, March 2.

Mobay Business Community to Partner on JamaicaEye
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Karl Samuda
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Karl Samuda

12,362 Seniors Registered Under New Social Pension Programme

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Representative from the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Jamaica, Gabrio Marinozzi (right), presents a certificate to Clovaline Thomas, who was a participant in the Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) training workshop. Occasion was the closing ceremony for the programme and presentation of certificates held on March 3 at the Farmers’ Training Centre in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine.
Agriculture

PHOTOS: Closing Ceremony and Presentation of Certificates to PICSA Trainees

Representative from the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Jamaica, Gabrio Marinozzi (right), presents a certificate to Clovaline Thomas, who was a participant in the Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) training workshop. Occasion was the closing ceremony for the programme and presentation of certificates held on March 3 at the Farmers’ Training Centre in Twickenham Park, St....
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A $2.3-billion allocation has been made to continue work on the Southern Plains Agricultural Development Project in the upcoming fiscal year. The sum has been budgeted in the 2023/24 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, recently. The project, which began in December 2019, aims to provide access to irrigation water on fallow sugar lands, to increase agricultural productivity through the modernisation of the agricultural sector. It includes construction of wells and canal network and the development of the associated agricultural infrastructure in the arable areas of Amity Hall and Bridge Pen in St. Catherine and Parnassus in Clarendon. Up to December 2022, the drilling of three wells and yield test were completed in Parnassus, and abstraction licences were approved by the Water Resources Authority. Other physical achievements of the project include the completion of capacity-building for climate resilience and crop modelling, the design of agricultural buildings, the irrigation network design, the irrigation and road/draining works, and a gender-responsive training manual for farmer groups. For fiscal year 2023/24, anticipated physical targets of the project are to commence the construction of agricultural buildings and to complete the construction of irrigation network and roads/drainage infrastructure, as well as to complete the rehabilitation of Hartlands canal. This is in addition to the re-tender for contract to construct pump houses and reservoir at Amity Hall/Bridge Pen and the acquisition of GIS equipment for the NIC. (more) Southern Plains…2 The project is being implemented by the Ministry Agriculture and Fisheries, with co-funding from the Government of Jamaica and the Caribbean Development Bank. It is slated to end in December 2024. An additional $361.7 million has been earmarked to undertake activities in fiscal year 2024/25, if necessary.
Budget 2023/2024Finance & Public Service

Finance Minister Opens Budget Debate Today

The 2023/24 Budget Debate gets under way in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 7), with the opening presentation by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke. He is expected to outline how the Government’s trillion-dollar expenditure for the upcoming fiscal year will be funded. The funds are allocated across the main expenditure categories...
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Annaleise Aiken, Team Leader for the Food Pilot Plant
Science

Beverage Production Businesses Benefit from Improved SRC Resources

Micro and small businesses dealing in beverage production can now benefit from improved resources at the Scientific Research Council (SRC). This follows the SRC’s acquisition of a more advanced bottling line for the filling of various types of non-carbonated beverages, namely natural juices, and flavoured water. It supports the standard 500 and 750-ml containers and mass-produces 2,500 items daily. Speaking...
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Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Zavia Mayne.
National Security

Promotion at DCS Will Be Based on Performance – Zavia Mayne

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Hon. Zavia Mayne, is assuring correctional officers that their hard work, dedication and commitment will be matched by the requisite level of promotion within the service. He said that upward mobility in the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) will not be determined by favouritism but by performance. “No nepotism or cronyism...
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Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St. Andrew, on March 3.
Water

PM Appeals for Conservation of Water

Jamaicans are being encouraged to conserve on their use of water as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of drought conditions. “I am appealing to all Jamaicans to be conservative in the use of water. We are not yet at the point where we would declare certain orders in terms of the usage of water, but we could get...
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Minister of Education and Youth, Hon, Fayval Williams (centre), is surrounded by students at the 2023 staging of Jamaica Day on Friday (March 3), at the Dinthill Technical High School in St. Catherine.
EducationYouth

Schools Mandated to Focus on Civics and Character Development

The Ministry of Education and Youth has mandated schools to use civics and character education as a means of shaping and instilling positive behaviour and attitudes in Jamaican students. Portfolio Minister, the Hon. Fayval Williams, made the disclosure as she addressed the Jamaica Day celebration at the St. Catherine-based Dinthill Technical High School on Friday (March 3). “A focus on...
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Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, outlines the agency’s achievements for 2022, during an interview with JIS News at his office on Hagley Park Road in Kingston.
Local Government

Firefighters Equipped to Execute Duties

Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, says several activities have been undertaken to safeguard firefighters and adequately equip them to execute their duties. He told JIS News that 130 sets of bunker gears and 150 pairs of firefighting gloves were procured in 2022. Bunker gear is the personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by firefighters. Commissioner Beckford informed that the...
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