Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, says the Forest Policy will be tabled in Parliament shortly. “The policy seeks to protect our trees and forests, including those at risk such as our closed broadleaf and riparian forests (wooded area near to water),” he said in a speech delivered by Councillor...

“A recent World Bank survey and study revealed that the Caribbean appeared to be the region most severely affected by the de-risking strategy,” the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, the Hon. Audley Shaw said during his address at the IMF/World Bank Annual meeting held in Washington last week. Correspondent banking relationships (CBRs) are critical for enabling key economic...

The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) is preparing for the upcoming 2016 Christmas season, so as to efficiently process items entering the country’s airports and seaports. To deal with the anticipated increase in goods coming in, the JCA will be providing additional staff at the ports as well as increasing the complement of customer-service agents to assist with queries from customers....

More than 30 persons completed advanced patent training with the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) in September. The sessions, which focused on training individuals in identifying characteristics that make inventions viable for patents, were held over four days on September 19 and 20; and September 29 and 30. Executive Director at JIPO, Lilyclaire Bellamy, speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’...

The Government has been commended for its continued commitment to establishing a logistics hub in Jamaica by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kingston Wharves Ltd., Grantley Stephenson. “We are heartened by the early indications that the current Government remains committed to building a competitive business environment through the Global Logistics Hub Initiative and continues to support growth-inducing economic activities that...

Organic farmer Fonyije Chigozili is hoping to break into the European market. She has benefited from valuable assistance to achieve her goal under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). Under the programme, local fresh produce, processed sauces and mixes have duty-free quota access to markets in Europe, tapping into a market of...

The National Water Commission (NWC) commenced work last evening (October 6) on a sewer line that caused a breakaway on a section of the roadway in the vicinity of the Market Place on Constant Spring Road. In an interview with JIS News, Corporate Public Relations Manager at the NWC, Charles Buchanan, said the agency’s engineers and waste-water specialists visited the...