Clients of Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) can expect continued improvement in customer service, and the handling of their assessments, as emphasis is being placed on the training of Revenue Administrators by the agency. This was in evidence recently, as more Revenue Administrators participated in a Tax Audit and Revenue Administration (TARA) Post Graduate Diploma Programme, administered by the Management Institute...

The Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), says operations are running smoothly at its temporary location at the National Indoor Sports Centre, in St. Andrew. Since PICA moved to the temporary location on Monday, it has been processing up to 1,200 applications each day. The agency is now speeding up plans to acquire a new head office, and also to...

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, says the Government is committed to creating an environment that will enable the further lowering of interest rates in the banking sector. “Those interest rates are trending down and they are trending down for a variety of reasons, but a main one is that the Government has restrained itself from...

Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, has hailed the Socio-Economic Information Network’s (SECIN) role in providing data, which has guided the policy decisions of successive Governments over the past 35 years. She said as the Government focuses on the growth agenda, the quality of data will be a major determinant in the country’s ability to grow....

Registrar of the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), Grieg Smith, is appealing for Jamaicans to rise up against violence and abuse of the nation’s children. Stating that the Registry has collected over 47,000 cases of child abuse over its eight years of existence, he said the incidence of violence against children “must stop.” “The only way that is going...

As the Government intensifies measures to safeguard the nation’s children, the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) is calling on communities to build a safety net around children. Executive Director of the Commission, Dr. Patrece Charles-Freeman, is advising parents to get together to devise strategies to keep their children safe. “Build a safety net around children. That is what parents need...

The Ministry of Health will continue to highlight the restriction on smoking in public places, as the rights of non-smokers must not be infringed. This was emphasised by Legal Officer in the Ministry, Sheryl Dennis, at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, today (May 27), as the country prepares to observe World No Tobacco Day on May 31 under the theme: ‘Stop...