The Government has divested the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) to Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL). Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the announcement at a press briefing at Jamaica House today (July 1). He said financial closure was attained yesterday (June 30) for the concession agreement between KFTL and the Port Authority of Jamaica. KFTL assumed operation of...

Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, says Jamaica’s consumption of petroleum-based fuels must be further reduced, in order to generate potentially greater benefits for the country. Dr. Wheatley says the Government’s commitment to achieve this by increasing renewable energy options is “unquestionable”, pointing to 80 megawatts of the alternative resource, which will be incorporated into the...

The Government will be launching a ‘Jamaica Moves’ (#JaMoves) National campaign as part of measures to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension and cancers. Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said the campaign is “an aggressive call to action” to get Jamaicans to become more active. He informed that the campaign will promote, educate and develop...

Jamaica Pulse, the first major exhibition of Jamaican visual art to be held in the United Kingdom, opened on Friday (June 24) in Bristol. The four-month exhibition is being staged by the Royal West of England Academy (RWA), and showcases the diversity of Jamaican art, ranging from contemporary pieces to the works of veteran artists such as Albert Huie, George...

Thirty staff members at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security will receive training next month, to effectively mediate industrial disputes between employers and workers. The training will be offered through collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO). The disclosure was made by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson, during her Sectoral Debate presentation in the House...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, says negotiations are ongoing with the three per cent of public-sector workers who have not yet signed the wage agreement for the 2015-2017 contract period. Ninety-seven per cent of public-sector workers have already signed on to the Heads of Agreement for wage increase and improved...

The country’s ability to detect, monitor and prepare for earthquakes is being strengthened through the input of secondary-school students. This is being facilitated under the Jamaican Educational Seismic Network (JAESN), which involves collaboration between the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Earthquake Unit and Geoscientist and Fulbright Core Scholar, Dr. Katherine Ellins. Under JAESN, seismograph stations are to be installed...