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KINGSTON — Efforts by the Government to reduce crime and violence in 39 volatile and vulnerable communities have been bolstered with an allocation of $830 million, to finance prevention and strategic interventions that will address identified individual, family and community risk factors. This initiative, which is being implemented by the Ministry of National Security, with funding from the Government, Department...

KINGSTON — The Ministry of Health's project to reduce HIV prevalence among persons deemed most at risk has been boosted this fiscal year by a $233.9 million budgetary allocation. This has been outlined in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure, currently being reviewed by the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives. The project, which commenced in October 2009, aims...

KINGSTON — Activities under the Public Sector Modernisation Programme (PSMP) II should be significantly enhanced this year through a $4.6 billion provision, set aside in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The project, being implemented by the Office of the Cabinet, aims to enable government Ministries, departments and agencies to develop and deliver high quality...

KINGSTON — Jamaica's effort to increase and sustain production of high quality marine products is being enhanced through a $138 million allocation to the Improving Jamaica’s Agricultural Productivity Project (Marine/Environment). The project seeks to enhance the environment stewardship and management of marine resources by a strengthened cadre of fishers and fisher organisations. As set out in the 2011/12 Estimates of...

KINGSTON — Residents of the March Pen Road community in St. Catherine, are to benefit from the establishment of a computer laboratory during this financial year. As outlined in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure,  now before  the House of Representatives, $4 million has been allotted to establish the laboratory, which will be used for adult literacy and training in information...

KINGSTON — Some $294.2 million is to be used this fiscal year, to fully implement civil works, and officially hand over the Simon Bolivar Cultural Centre at North parade, downtown Kingston.        The project, which is provided for under the Venezuelan Investment Fund (BANDES), is being implemented by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC). It aims to expand and develop...

KINGSTON — The Reduction of Fluctuation in Export Earnings (FLEX) project in the Office of the Prime Minister is to receive $88 million this fiscal year to continue rehabilitating parochial roads, and advance the sustainable development of rural communities. As outlined in the  2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives, the European Union-funded project is aimed at...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) will, this fiscal year, continue to train emergency response teams, implement community micro-mitigation projects, and access more data for hazard risk reduction implementation. These activities will be carried out with budgetary support of $32 million, which has been allocated in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. ...

MANDEVILLE — The St. Elizabeth Parish Council is moving to have the speed limit for the Holland Bamboo roadway reduced, and the area designated as a safe zone for schools. Mayor of Black River Councillor Jeremy Palmer, said he will ensure that the issue is treated with urgency. The decision came after concerns were raised at a recent sitting of...

KINGSTON — Head of the European Union Delegation in Jamaica, Ambassador Marco Mazzocchi Alemanni, says the EU will be funding the visit of two international crime experts to consult with the Head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), as part of efforts to assist Jamaica in fighting crime. He said the experts are expected to arrive in Jamaica as early...

WASHINGTON — Jamaica's Consul General in New York, Dr. Geneive Brown Metzger, has been selected as the Honorary Carnival Referee for the 117th Penn Relay Games in Philadelphia. The Penn Relays will be held from April 28 to 30 at Franklin Field, on the University of Pennsylvania campus, in Philadelphia. Dr. Brown Metzger will join the corps of Penn Relays...

KINGSTON — Governor of the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ), Bryan Wynter, says that despite rising world commodity prices, Jamaica's monetary authorities were able to reduce inflation from 13.3 per cent in 2009 to 7.8 per cent last year, a  5.5 percentage points reduction.  He also noted that the 7.8 percent headline inflation for the past fiscal year, was close to...