Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the agricultural sector is poised to reap huge benefits from the nearly 15,000 hotel rooms that are slated to come on stream over the next five years. As such, the Minister is urging farmers to make adequate preparation to meet what is expected to be an increase in demand for food. "There is going...

Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen and Lady Allen brought Christmas cheer to young patients at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, during their official visit to the institution in Kingston, yesterday (December 1). They toured the Orthopaedic and Medical wards where they spoke with the children and staff and distributed toys, books, games and blankets to the...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson, is appealing to residents of St. Ann to make greater use of the community health centres in order to reduce overcrowding at the hospitals. She noted that the clinics provide quality care, and doctors at the facilities will refer persons to a hospital for advanced treatment if needed. “There are times...

The Ministry of National Security is providing training for police personnel in conflict resolution in order to better enable them to recognise, deal with and respond to domestic violence. This is in light of statistics, which show that approximately 37 per cent of murders committed in Jamaica stem from domestic incidents. Speaking at a domestic violence/conflict resolution training session at...

The Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) is calling for a more barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities (PWDs). Executive Director, JCPD, Christine Hendricks, told JIS News that while various entities have been making an effort to make their physical spaces more accessible to PWDs, more needs to be done to ensure that information is also accessible to that...

The Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) has received $402 million in grant funding from the PetroCaribe Development Fund for the establishment of a Festo Authorised and Certified Training (FACT) Centre for specialised engineers. The centre, which is slated to become operational in September 2017, will be the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean and will offer world-class training and...

Four private- and public-sector bodies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), agreeing to work together to grow national exports to US$2.5 billion by 2020. Jamaica currently exports approximately US$1.6 billion in goods and services. The bodies that will be collaborating are the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Jamaica Exporters’ Association (JEA), Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) and Jamaica Promotions Corporation...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson, has commended corporate giant Red Stripe for providing valuable skills training to 238 youth, through its Learning for Life (LFL) programme. Addressing Red Stripe’s LFL graduation ceremony on November 30, at the Red Stripe Oval on Spanish Town Road, in Kingston, the Minister thanked the company for its continued commitment to...

Scores of civil servants who have served 25 years and more have been recognised by the Government for their long and dedicated service to the public sector. At a ceremony held at King’s House on November 30, the recipients were presented with plaques by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen; Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness;...