Meetings to outline the work of the Economic Growth Council (EGC) got under way recently in the United Kingdom (UK) with two public fora in London, at the Jamaican High Commission and at the Council House in Birmingham. High Commissioner, His Excellency Seth George Ramocan, who spoke at both events, said the main objective of the EGC is to stimulate...

High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), His Excellency Seth George Ramocan, made his first official visit to Birmingham recently. He met with the Deputy Lord Mayor, other UK officials, as well as Councillors of Jamaican descent, including the first female Afro-Caribbean Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Sybil Spence and the first black female Cabinet Member, Councillor Sharon Hamilton. During...

Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, has underscored the importance of screening at Jamaica’s ports of entry to safeguard the country against the re-emergence of vector-borne diseases, such as chikungunya, malaria, Zika, dengue and yellow fever. He pointed out that the onset of many of these diseases often results from persons becoming infected while on visits to high-risk countries...

New President of the People’s National Party (PNP), Dr. Peter Phillips, was sworn in yesterday (April 3), as Leader of the Opposition, at King’s House. He was presented with the Instrument of Appointment by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen. The function was attended by Members of the Parliamentary Opposition; former Leader of the Opposition, the Most...

Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says public education is critical in getting community members to act in eradicating mosquito breeding sites. “We have to educate and inform every single Jamaican as to what the potential risk or potential threat is as it relates to the mosquito… . The first line of defence is really about education and us...

The Government has purchased six new garbage trucks at a cost of more than $120 million to serve three of the National Solid Waste Management Authority’s (NSWMA’s) four regional entities. The units, which were handed over during a ceremony held on April 3 at the NSWMA’s head office in Kingston, will serve the Southern Parks and Markets region, comprising Clarendon,...

Paper-based life certificates may soon become a thing of the past as the Accountant General’s Department (AGD) looks to implement biometrics as a means of identifying pensioners. Accountant General, Carlene Murdock, said the Department is actively working towards implementing this feature. “What this will mean … is that the old order of the life certificates as we know it will...