The National Identification and Registration Act, 2017, which seeks to establish a reliable identification system for Jamaicans, is expected to be passed at the next sitting of the Senate on Friday (November 10). This is the intention of the Government, as it seeks to secure funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to undertake the project which is being implemented...

Residents of Portland were given the opportunity to highlight concerns and make recommendations towards Jamaica’s progress in attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs), at the recent staging of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Dialogue for Development Lecture Series. The event, was held at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education in Port Antonio on October 31. It was the...

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF), Hon. Karl Samuda, is expressing optimism for the sugar industry. Addressing the 80th Annual Conference of the Jamaica Association of Sugar Technologists (JAST), at RIU Ocho Rios resort, in St. Ann on Thursday (November 2), Mr. Samuda implored the stakeholders to press ahead with their cultivation, as it has been a ‘tried,...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, says the Ministry will be working to assist farmers, to ensure there is continuous growth in the sector. He notes that the Ministry has been looking at making seedlings for Irish potato, onion and Scotch bonnet pepper available to individuals as part of an Agricultural...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says as one of the fastest-growing cities in the Caribbean, Montego Bay is very important to the Government’s growth strategy. Speaking at the official opening of the GWest Medical Centre in Fairview, Montego Bay, on November 2, Mr. Holness pointed out that Montego Bay is being positioned as a major centre for business,...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says he is confident that the recently launched Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) will be a catalyst in securing the country’s competitive advantage as a preferred tourism destination for travel industry partners and travellers. Mr. Bartlett was speaking at the official launch of a three-month pilot project marking the start of the work...

Plans by the government are in the offing to convert lands around Hope Gardens in St. Andrew into a technology park. Minister without Portfolio in the Economic Growth and Job Creation Ministry, Hon. Horace Chang confirmed that by the end of 2018, the first 300,000 square foot of space will be established to employ up to 6,000 individuals. “We know...