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Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, says the private sector needs to speak with one voice, as it seeks to strengthen its partnership with the Government, in order to make Jamaica a place of choice to do business. Mr. Samuda was speaking at a panel discussion on the findings of the joint World Bank/International Finance Corporation (IFC)...

Jamaica is to enhance its heritage tourism offering with today's (October 1) signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT), for renovations to the New Seville Great House in St. Ann. The MoU comes against the celebration of the 500-year anniversary of the founding of New Seville as the first...

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide for greater standardisation in the assessment and accreditation of engineering programmes, was signed today (Oct.1) between the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) and the Professional Engineers Registration Board (PERB). Chairman of the Engineering Accreditation Committee at PERB, Garth Kiddoe, speaking at the signing ceremony held at the UCJ's office on Oxford Road in...

The eight fish sanctuaries, which are being established by the Government to protect and develop the country's fishing industry, should be in place by March 2010, said Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton. He said the law governing the establishment of the sanctuaries is to be gazetted and recorded and "once that is done (we) will be...

Consultant to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Dr. Barbara Carby, is of the opinion that Jamaicans must be constantly bombarded with the message of disaster mitigation and prevention, even if there is no threat of disaster. "Disaster risk reduction is a bit like preaching the gospel; every time is good. You really want to keep disaster...

The St. Ann Parish Council is undertaking drain cleaning work across the parish, in preparation for expected increase in rainfall in the upcoming months. Secretary/Manager at the Council, Clinton Gordon, told JIS News that $3 million has been allocated for the work, while various Members of Parliament (MPs) for the parish have pledged financial support. He said that even though...

Portland was one of the parishes worst affected by the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav in August 2008, with the residents of Black Rock, Comfort Castle, Fairy Hill, Forte, Grange Hill, Happy Grove, Hectors River, Islington, Kensington, Long Road, Manchioniel and Windsor Forrest and others counting their losses after the storm had departed. But help was on the way. Some...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has predicted inflation in the range of 10-12% or lower this year, due to exchange rate stability and moderate international commodity prices. "We expect inflation for the fiscal year to be in the range of 10 to 12 per cent, reflecting stability in the exchange rate and moderation in international...

Opposition spokesman on finance, Dr. Omar Davies, has said that the Opposition stands ready to work with the Government during the current economic crisis, but not without conditions. "This co-operation and this collaboration cannot be taken for granted. We have certain basis and certain principles on which we work, and we have no hesitation and we have no reservation in...

Government employees will soon have to contribute to their pension, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has confirmed. "It is inevitable that all public sector workers are going to have to become used to the issue of making a contribution to their pensions," Mr. Shaw told the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles, says that there has been no change in the Government's policy that, where Jamaicans are available to fill jobs, no foreigners will be granted work permits for those jobs. "I want to assure you that the instruction that I have from the Cabinet, is that whenever there is a Jamaican that...

Ground was broken Wednesday (September 30) for a prototype Youth Information Centre (YIC) for Manchester, on lands donated by the Parish Council. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Her Worship the Mayor of Mandeville, Councillor Brenda Ramsay, said that the construction of the Centre is part of the development project for the Brooks Park property. "This is part of what we...