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Jamaica, earlier today (December 18), received US$90 million of the recently agreed US$101 million loan package from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The major loan agreement covering three loans, was signed by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, and the Executive Vice President of the IDB, Daniel Zelikow, in Washington, United States, on December 5, 2008. In...

Measures announced by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, to assist the tourism sector, specifically the hotel industry, in order to ensure sustainability during the global economic crisis, and to save jobs that might be lost, have been well received. In his address to the nation on Sunday, December 14, the Prime Minister said that one of the measure being implemented includes...

The Government of Jamaica has secured an agricultural loan of US$7.8 million from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), for on-lending to farmers. Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, speaking in the House of Representatives yesterday (Dec. 16), said that the loan, which was approved by the Board of Directors of the CDB last week, will be channelled to the agricultural...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles, has appealed to persons with HIV/AIDS to assist in controlling its spread, while urging sanctions against those who intentionally pass on the virus to others. The Minister, who was speaking at the launch of the Ministry's Life Threatening Illness (LTI) policy recently at the Hilton Kingston, said that persons living with the...

The House of Representatives yesterday (Dec.16), approved the withdrawal of $1.1 billion from the Capital Development Fund (CDF), to be paid into the Consolidated Fund, to provide budgetary support for the 2008/09 financial year. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, who moved the resolution, said this latest withdrawal represents the third for the fiscal year. He told...

The Ministries of Agriculture and Energy are collaborating to develop a biofuel policy for Jamaica, as the Government seeks to ensure food and energy security. "A biofuel policy is critical to protect food supply, safeguard the food chain and focus on research and technology to drive efficiencies and production to meet future energy needs while safeguarding the environment," said Minister...

Chairman of Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), Raymond Miles, Jnr., has called on stakeholders in the business sector to be proactive and exercise prudence in order to negotiate the current global economic downturn. "In these difficult times of... restrictions... we have to be proactive and prudent in our business strategies, and that will help our respective sectors to not only...

The Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI) New Kingston office was on Tuesday (Dec.16) officially designated an Export Centre/Business Information Point (EC/BIP) facility. The move is part of the Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which is a €26.17 million five-year project, jointly funded by the Government of Jamaica and the European Union. Under the project, export centres and business information points...

In an effort to expedite trading, the Ministry of Agriculture is in the process of developing an automated trace system, for the electronic processing of import permits and export phytosanitary certificates. "We are now at the end of the pilot phase for the import aspect of it, and we are looking to fully implement this by January 2009," Chief Plant...

A number of organizations and entities, which undertake projects in health, education and the environment, among other areas, have received US$260,000 in grants from the Alcoa Foundation. Jerome Maxwell, Managing Director of Jamalco, handed over the cheques at a presentation ceremony held last week at the Jamalco refinery in Halse Hall, Clarendon. A little over US$163,000 was presented to the...

More than 1,000 children from the parish of Hanover were yesterday (Dec. 16) treated to a day of fun and excitement as the Parish Council staged its annual Christmas fete. The festivities began at 10:00 a.m. in the municipal car park in Lucea, where the children were treated to free rides, games, music and refreshment. At about 2:00 p.m., the...

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, today December 17, called for nations of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), to allow the Rio Group to become an institution to lobby for development in the region. He was speaking at the Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean on Integration and Development in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The Prime Minister noted that the Rio...