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Prime Minister Bruce Golding heaped praise on the visionaries who made the Cuban-sponsored eye care clinic a reality and which was officially opened today (January 27) at St. Joseph's Hospital in Kingston. Mr. Golding said that the clinic is an example of how developing nations can bring first class projects together. "We may not be admitted into the first world,...

Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding (centre), engages Cuba's Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Yuri Gala López (left), and Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer (right), during the ceremony to officially open the Jamaica/Cuba Ophthalmology Centre on the lawns of the St. Joseph's Hospital in east Kingston, on Wednesday (January 27) . The Centre falls under the Jamaica/Cuba Eye Care...

"Restorative and Community Justice: Making Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business," is the theme for the celebration of Restorative and Community Justice Week, which starts Sunday, January 31 and ends Friday, February 6. Coordinator of Justice Reform at the Ministry of Justice, Beverley Little, disclosed that, during the week, two pilot Restorative and...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon Audley Shaw, has asked that the Opposition give unequivocal support to the Jamaica Debt Exchange (JDX) programme. Closing the debate on the economy in the House of Representatives Tuesday night, Mr. Shaw accused the Opposition of giving different signals in terms of their support for the initiative. "I don't quite understand the...

A total of 1,374 early childhood institutions of an estimated 2,800, have been inspected by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) since the process started in November 2007, with 131 permits to operate issued. Communications Manager at the ECC, Marsha Grant, speaking at a Think Tank held at the Jamaica Information Service's head office in Kingston yesterday (January 26), said that...

Preliminary indications are that up to yesterday (January 26), there was a 91 per cent participation rate in the Government's debt exchange initiative. Making the disclosure at the Jamaica Customs Department's stakeholders symposium at the Jamaica Conference Centre, in Downtown Kingston, today (January 27), Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, described this development as "successful by...

Scientific research conducted at the Port Royal Marine Laboratory and University of the West Indies/Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (UWI/EFJ) Biodiversity Centre could aid in the fight against deadly diseases and eventually save human life, said UWI Mona Principal, Professor Gordon Shirley. He argued that support for the facility is critical as research coming out of the Marine Lab has benefited...

The Government will be amending legislation to ensure that only accompanied baggage benefit from the passenger declaration system, which allows for the importation of up to US$500 worth of goods (personal effects), without duty. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, said this has become necessary as the current system, which gives duty concession on both accompanied...

Under the Jamaica Debt Exchange (JDX) the Government of Jamaica has received submission forms, which are subject to verification, from holders aggregating more than 90% of the bonds eligible for the transaction. Submission forms were still being submitted late yesterday (Wednesday), and the Government has received several requests from brokers to extend the submission deadline to allow them additional time...

The need for governments, particularly in the Caribbean and Africa, to develop policies that will counter the impact of the global economic downturn, and climate change, on young people in these regions, has been emphasised by Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Mr. Pierre San

Plans for the implementation of a US$100 million Kingston Sewerage Development Project is on track with international engineering consultancy firm Nippon Koei Limited, undertaking preparatory survey for the project. The survey work, which started in July 2009, will continue until September, during which loan approval is expected to be given. The project, which is being funded by the Government of...

Minister of Water and Housing, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, is advising developers to incorporate the cost of installing proper waste water treatment facilities into their development plans. "Developers in Jamaica, I find...do not factor off-site infrastructure into their development costs. They plan a nice scheme at a very profitable rate, and then when they get to National Environment and Planning...