The Government is well on its way to strengthening its public debt management framework with the passage of relevant legislation in the Senate on Friday (July 21). Provisions to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of debt management are contained in the Public Debt Management (Amendment) Act, 2017, which was approved with one amendment. The Bill seeks to amend the...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is advising householders and property owners to take advantage of the hurricane ‘graveyard’ period from June to late August, to carry out inspections and repairs ahead of the active phase of the season. The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 each year. Regional Co-ordinator at ODPEM,...

Local inmates may soon be allowed conjugal visits, says Minister of National Security, Hon. Robert Montague. A conjugal visit is a scheduled period in which an inmate of a prison or jail is permitted to spend quality time in private with a visitor, usually a legal spouse. “I am determined and insistent that we are going to start conjugal visits...

Minister of National Security, Hon. Robert Montague, is reporting reductions in  five of the seven major categories of crime for the first six months of the calendar year. “When you aggregate all of the figures, overall there has been a five per cent decrease in crime in 2017 up to June, compared to 2016,” he said. “We have seen a...

Second generation Diaspora member, Donika Jones, is using volunteerism to spread the Jamaican culture in Canada. Born in Ontario, Canada, to Jamaican parents, Miss Jones, who is a health promotion specialist, credits her passion for volunteerism to her Jamaican parents. “Their Jamaican identity has always been paramount and that laid the foundation for me. They have always worked and given...

The Jamaica Diaspora Agriculture Task Force has been engaging Jamaican farmers in a number of initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable organic farming. The initiatives, which are in line with the Government’s economic growth agenda, are to ensure that local farmers are trained, and that appropriate technology and financing options are available to enable them to capitalise on the demand for...

The St. James Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is providing quality vegetable planting materials for farmers in the parish, through its plant nursery, which is located in Catherine Hall, Montego Bay. RADA St. James Agricultural Manager, Sadie Dixon Bennett, tells JIS News that the nursery, which has been in operation for the past six years, has resulted in the production...