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The Government has commenced work to establish Jamaica’s National Trade Portal, which was approved by Cabinet in 2017/18. This was disclosed by Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, while opening the 2018/19 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 1). Mr. Shaw, who indicated that the portal is being established under the Government’s Trade...

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries is spearheading implementation of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 Quality Management System across priority agencies of Government. This is according to Portfolio Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, who was opening the 2018/19 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 1). The 10 agencies under the Ministry are among...

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service is inviting public-sector employees to apply for tertiary-education grants on behalf of their children. The grant, which is to assist with tuition fees only, will cover 80 per cent payment, up to a maximum of $150,000. To benefit, the public-sector employee must be permanently, temporarily or contractually appointed, with at least two...

More small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will benefit from assistance this year to boost their export potential under the Caribbean Export Development Agency’s (CEDA’s) Direct Assistance Grant Scheme (DAGS). Proposals are now being accepted for the scheme, which is funded by the European Union (EU) and is specifically designed to provide financial support to established SMEs that are exporting or...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says there has been a reduction in the fear of crime among residents in St. James since the implementation of the State of Public Emergency in January. “Significant progress has been made in rebuilding public trust towards the police across communities within the parish, and the fear of crime is steadily being reduced,”...

The Government has programmed capital expenditure of approximately US$950 million on business process outsourcing (BPO) and tourism projects, through Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), for the 2018/19 fiscal year. This was disclosed by Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, while delivering the opening 2018/19 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 1). Mr. Shaw...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, says he will be placing more focus on fisheries during this fiscal year, with the hope of increasing the nation’s earnings from the sector. Making his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House on May 1, Mr. Shaw said in addition to focusing on the development of this sector,...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is imploring parents engaged in the practice of withholding their children from school on some weekdays, to involve them in economic activities to generate household income, to desist from doing so. “You’re not doing the child a favour (and) you’re certainly not supporting their full potential development by depriving them of one or...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is confident that Jamaica can attain full employment based on the growth in job-creating projects, which has boosted employment, leading to record declines in the unemployment rate. Unemployment has been trading downwards, reaching a low of 9.6 per cent as at January 2018, and there have been significant investment and development interests, particularly...

Jamaica is among 10 countries that have been selected to participate in the Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) Project, which aims to support the implementation of energy-efficiency measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. The others are Argentina, China, Georgia, India, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, Philippines and South Africa. They will serve as lead pilot countries for implementing legal,...

Jingle and mascot competitions are among activities being organised by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) for Child Month in May. The Child Protection Jingle competition, which gets under way on May 3, invites young people to submit creative songs in keeping with the themes of childcare and protection. Chief Executive Officer of the CPFSA, Rosalee Gage-Grey, launched...

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says an aggressive fruit tree planting programme will be implemented over the next five years. As part of this initiative, dubbed the Greening of Jamaica, the Jamaica 4-H Clubs will make available the first one million seedlings over the next year. “We want to plant one million fruit trees per year...