More

About 20 children, who are patients of the Cornwall Regional Hospital's (CRH) Paediatric Ward, received a pleasant surprise, Wednesday (December 30), when Pastors from the United Children's Ministry visited and showered them with carols, prayers and gifts. The event was part of the Ministry's annual Christmas visit to schools, hospitals and childcare institutions across Jamaica. This is done in partnership...

Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding says that the Government will arrange the appropriate recognition for Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus operator, Ms. Annette Howard, for keeping a cool head and using her initiative to move persons away from the American Airlines crash of December 22. Ms Howard paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister along with the...

Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, has extended the tenure of outgoing Custos of Trelawny, the Hon. Roylan Barrett, until January 31, 2010 to facilitate the appointment of a successor. Custos Barrett recently retired from the position, and would have demitted office today, December 31. He was recently recognised by the Governor-General, for his many years of...

On Wednesday, January 6, thousands of Jamaica and a few in-the-know foreigners will travel to St. Elizabeth to partake in one of the country's best kept secrets - the annual Maroon Festival in Accompong. The day usually starts with a ceremony paying respect to Maroon ancestors at the Peace Cave, which is thought to be the site of the signing...

A new energy policy document, based on national consultations and comments from a wide cross-section of society as well as current realities facing Jamaica, has been tabled in Parliament by Minister of Mining and Energy, the Hon Jams Robertson. According to the Minister the document represents a revision of the Energy Policy Green Paper 2006-2020, which had been tabled by...

Executive Director of the Broadcasting Commission, Cordel Green, has said that if Jamaica is to participate, fully, in the new information economy, it will need to develop a media literate population. According to the Executive Director in an interview with the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Jamaicans must not be satisfied just being consumers of the products, but must also aim...

Come next year, the government-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) will be placing increased focus on improving its operations, including strengthening its fleet, as it strives to provide a safe, modern, and reliable bus system for the travelling public. Managing Director, Paul Abrahams, tells JIS News that the JUTC "suffers tremendously" from an aged fleet, and the "lack of funding...

The National Works Agency (NWA) is advising motorists that Old Church Road in St. Andrew, adjacent to the recently constructed Waterloo Bridge, will be closed temporarily, from Monday, January 4, 2010 to Saturday, January 30, 2010. Closure of this roadway is to facilitate Phase III of the Waterloo Bridge/Road Improvement Programme, currently underway along the corridor. The alternative route for...

Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Blood Bank, Dr. Evadne Williams, is appealing for voluntary donations to shore up the nation's blood supply. In an interview with JIS News, Dr Williams explained that during the holiday season, the demand for blood becomes especially high, due in part to the increased occurrence of traffic accidents. "We know that accidents...

In keeping with the recent recommendations of the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), bus and taxi fares are to be increased by 20 per cent, effective Saturday, January 16, 2010. Transport and Works Minister, the Hon Mike Henry, in advising of the pending new transportation rate, said that the bus and taxi operators had convinced the OUR of the need...

The Ministry of Health has issued a release advising the public that no crisis is impending at the Spanish Town Hospital, with the expiration of contracts of Senior House Officers. The release, issued following a meeting between Minister of Health, the Hon Rudyard Spencer, and representatives of the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), stated: "The Ministry of Health wishes...

The agro-processing sector accounted for 30 per cent of the total loans disbursed by the National Export Import (Ex-Im) Bank of Jamaica during the 2008/09 financial year. This amounted to some $1.96 billion, and was the highest category of loans disbursed. The distribution and services sector accounted for $1.92 billion, while manufacturing followed with $1.54 billion. The food and beverage,...