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The Ministry of Water and Housing is making significant progress in its programme of assistance for householders whose homes were totally destroyed by Tropical Storm Gustav. In Portland, the Ministry has so far, rebuilt 58 of the 117 houses that were demolished by the tropical storm, and relocated nine households to the Darlingford site in the parish. Of the 37...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has said that the Government would be embarking on the most ambitious road programme ever, over the next four years. He pointed out that the project, to include the rehabilitation and construction of roads, would be undertaken at a cost of US$460 million (J$40 billion). Mr. Shaw was delivering the...

179 households from Kingston, St. Andrew and Spanish Town that were totally destroyed by the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav, should be relocated to West Albion in St Thomas in the near future. Work is expected to resume at the relocation site, following a recent stakeholder meeting hosted by the Ministry of Water and Housing at its Dominica Drive offices...

Some 125 young people age 14 to 17 years, who are considered at risk, will benefit from behaviour modification initiatives and life skills training, through the Department of Correctional Services' (DCS) Challengers' Camps 2010. The camps, which are to be held at centres across the island during the month of July, the camps involve a comprehensive programme that will address...

Minister with responsibility for Information Daryl Vaz says the Government is committed to implementing its national transformation programme and wants to partner with all well thinking Jamaicans including the opposition People's National Party. He has called on all Jamaicans to share in the positive dreams that the government has and to give the government their support in the interest of...

Two days of touring infrastructure projects in the city of Montego Bay by Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding, culminated with a visit to the new police station being built in Montego Hills; the proposed site for a Centre of Excellence Training Centre at the old Glendevon Market; and the recently opened sports facility in Catherine Hall. Mr. Golding also...

Cabinet has approved the Development Applications Approval Process 'Flow Charts', and the Procedures Manual for all profile of applications in the business process. Speaking at the weekly post Cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House on July 15, Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, that the approval will ensure a quicker response time for...

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has welcomed local implementation of the Competitiveness Coffee Enterprises programme for farmers in several of the island's coffee producing regions. The programme, a joint initiative between Jamaica and Guatemala, aims to improve the competitiveness of coffee farmers in both countries, while developing the administrative capacity and value-added component of the beneficiary co-operatives...

The time given to the Joint Select Committee of Parliament to consider the Protected Disclosure Bill, commonly known as the Whistleblower legislation, has been extended to the end of September, 2010. This was disclosed in the Senate, on July 16, by Minister of Justice and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Hon. Dorothy Lightbourne. "The committee has been very...

As part of efforts to 'go green' and reduce its impact on the environment, the Mavis Bank coffee factory, in rural St. Andrew, is to implement a waste water management system. Speaking with JIS News during a tour of the factory on July 15, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Senator Norman Grant said the system is very significant, as the facility...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, has said that the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) must be restructured to enable the organisation to better serve the interests of farmers. Giving the keynote address at the JAS 115th Annual General Meeting, held at the Denbigh Showground in Clarendon on July14, Dr. Tufton contended that the body "was too heavy...

The Senate has approved a Bill protecting the Child Development Agency (CDA) and its employees from any action flowing from a 2005 blunder, in which the Child Care and Protection (Children's Homes) Regulations were gazetted before being approved by Parliament. The Bill effectively validated and confirmed acts done "in good faith" by the CDA and any person having official duties...