More

We have said goodbye to 2008 with mixed feelings. I say "mixed feelings" because in spite of the difficulties we experienced, there were some great moments. Beijing Olympics The outstanding performance of our athletes at the Beijing Olympics filled us with pride and served as a reminder that we have it in us to accomplish great things. They are undoubtedly...

My fellow Jamaicans, the dawn of a new year always brings renewed hope for success. The anticipation is perhaps even greater than it was last year, given the challenges we faced in many areas. In order for our people to fulfill their expectations, we should examine the factors both internal and external to Jamaica, which are responsible for the many...

The Diaspora community in the United States is being mobilised to assist the survivors and families of the victims of the December 19 truck crash in Portland. Consul General to New York, Geneive Brown Metzger, said that the overseas nationals stand ready to help as soon as the Government and related-agencies complete the needs assessment, now underway. She indicated that...

Amidst the global economic downturn, the Government is optimistic that some of the expected 2.5 million jobs to be created by President-elect of the United States of America (USA), Barrack Obama, will spill over and create opportunities for the Jamaican workforce. This was noted by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles, in an interview with JIS News. He...

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, The Hon. Olivia Grange, has appealed for the public to report any sign of child abuse or neglect within their communities to the Child Development Agency(CDA) without hesitation. Miss Grange, who also has responsibility for community development and women's affairs in the cabinet, made the appeal today in a statement responding to the...

Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, will be providing additional assistance to the families of the 14 persons who were killed in the road tragedy in the Dam Bridge Community of the Rio Grande Valley in Portland on December 19. Minister of State for Project Implementation in the Office of the Prime Minister, Daryl Vaz, disclosed that...

Chairman of the Cinematograph Authority (The Authority), Joyce Archibald, has pointed out that legislative reform and capacity building would be the main focus of the organisation in 2009, as it seeks to enhance its ability to regulate Jamaica's Film Industry, and the exhibition of films to the Jamaican public. Highlighting the Authority's main objectives, she told JIS News that, "included...

The deadline for the addition of approximately 115,000 persons to the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), has been extended to March 2009. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles, said that the extension will facilitate the inclusion of the requisite number of people to the programme. "I was given...

The stock of money in circulation on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2008, the last shopping day before Christmas, stood at just over $52 billion, representing an increase of approximately 4.4 per cent relative to the stock of some $49.8 million, which obtained for the similar period in 2007. The Central Bank has attributed the relatively small increase of money in...

The Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) has implemented several strategies, and is in the process of initiating others, aimed at assisting farmers to produce, market and sell their produce. In an interview with JIS News, President of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Senator Norman Grant, says the strategies have been implemented to drive a policy for food security, and ultimately increase...

Cabinet this week approved the appointment of new members to the Board of the Natural History Division, for three years, effective December 15. They are: Professor Ronald Young, Chairman; Marigold Harding, Deputy Chairperson; Tracey Cammock, Director of the Natural History Division; Dr. Eric Garraway, Department of Life Sciences, at the University of the West Indies (UWI); Althea Heron, Ministry of...

Cabinet has approved several contracts, including an insurance contract for the Housing Agency of Jamaica (HAJ), and for the Montego Bay Free Zone Land Use Infrastructure Construction, among others. For the HAJ, a three-year brokerage contract was awarded to Progressive Insurance Brokers for the placement of the insurance portfolio of the agency, and the appointment of NEM Insurance Company Limited...