Prime Minister Andrew Holness is expressing profound gratitude to disaster preparedness officials and all Jamaicans for the level of preparation and response as the country braced for a possible impact from Hurricane Matthew. Jamaica was placed on high alert as then Category 4 Hurricane Matthew moved menacingly toward the island. Prime Minister Holness said government ministries, agencies, private sector, the...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is reporting that the National Emergency Operations Centre has scaled down activities to Level 1 Activation (Monitoring Phase), in light of the reduction in the threat level of Hurricane Matthew. The Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management is also recommending a return to routine operations where possible. •The public transportation system...

PRESS RELEASE- This serves to advise that NMIA Airports Limited (NMIAL), operators of the Norman Manley International Airport, continues to monitor the movement of Hurricane Matthew. Based on the latest information available regarding the projected path of the hurricane, the decision has been made to reopen the airport for full operations at 12:00 noon today. Airlines are now making arrangements...

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is looking to make foreign languages compulsory for students from grades one to nine. Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said the move forms part of the Ministry’s foreign language policy in schools. “I have already signalled to my Ministry to come up with a strategy of how we are going to...

The National Works Agency (NWA) is carrying out preparatory work in flood prone areas across the island to minimise any damage associated with the passage of Hurricane Matthew. Matthew, which is now a Category Four hurricane, is expected to impact the island as early as Sunday (October 2). A hurricane warning has been issued for Jamaica as at Saturday, October...

Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks, presented her credentials as Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) to the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, in Washington on September 29. The Ambassador said Jamaica is committed to the principles and objectives of the OAS. “These principles include the promotion of democracy, the protection of human...

Finance and the Public Service Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says the Government remains committed to implementing the proposed contributory public-sector pension scheme by April 2017. Pension reform is a structural benchmark under the four-year International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The Bill to formalise proposals for the reform arrangements was retabled by Minister Shaw in the House of...