Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda, says the Government is committed to the expansion of the cocoa industry and will be offering increased support to stakeholders. He said the Ministry, through the extension services of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), will be designating teams to work directly with the farmers in the cocoa industry. “Small...

Over 40 persons will be honoured by the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) for outstanding contribution in advancing the work of the entity during an awards ceremony on Wednesday, February 8. The function, which will culminate the NCSC’s 40th anniversary celebrations, will be held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston under the theme: ‘Showcasing Our Legacy: Promoting...

Scores of women drawn from all sectors of society staged a peaceful march in Montego Bay on Monday (Feb.6) to call for an end to violence against women and children. The placard-bearing women, accompanied by a small contingent of men including Government Senator Charles Sinclair, marched from Barnett Street into the historic Sam Sharpe Square, where they blended their voices...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, is proposing a review of the operations of State institutions that provide social services. This, he said, is to determine whether they are effectively and efficiently performing the functions for which they were established, and to make changes where necessary. The Minister was speaking...

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the planned merger of the Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL) and the National Youth Service (NYS) with the HEART Trust/NTA forms part of a “rescue mission” for the country’s at-risk youth. He said the merger will ensure that there is a sustained programme for early intervention for...

The Government will be establishing a multi-stakeholder committee to make recommendations regarding plastic/styrofoam. The committee is to be chaired by Director, Mona GeoInformatics Institute, University of the West Indies, Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee. Government Senator, Matthew Samuda, made the disclosure during his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate recently. “Upon commencement of its work, the Committee...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, says restorative justice provides options for positive social transformation, by equipping citizens and communities with more effective and peaceful means of resolving conflicts. “It focuses on holding the offender accountable. It also fosters the repair of the harm caused by the offence and a sense of healing; and it aids rehabilitation and reintegration of...