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A Bill to amend the Income Tax Act was passed on (Jan.15) in the House of Representatives. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, who piloted the Bill, said it seeks to allow for conformity with the Pensions (Superannuation) Fund and Retirement Scheme Act, which was passed in 2004. "This is with respect to maximum pensions payable and...

Contracts valued at a total of $251 Million for the construction of an Urban Transportation Centre in Downtown Kingston and the redevelopment of St. William Grant Park, were signed at Jamaica House on January 15 in the presence of Prime Minister Bruce Golding. The projects are being undertaken by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), and are expected to breathe new...

During the 2006/07 financial period, a number of key laws were passed, in order to bring technological developments that are in use by or are impacting the financial services, under a clearly defined framework. As explained in the 2006/07 annual report of the Jamaica Deposit Insurance Corporation (JDIC), this was done to assist commerce and protect consumers of financial and...

The annual survey of insurable deposits in the banking system, conducted by the Jamaica Deposit Insurance Corporation (JDIC), has revealed that depositors are continuing to enjoy a high level of protection on their savings. In the JDIC's annual survey for 2006/07, it was noted that as at December 31, 2006, an estimated 95.67 per cent of accounts were covered. The...

Russia in Westmoreland is the latest community to benefit from the social intervention services offered under the Citizens Security and Justice Programme (CSJP). The initiative was launched in the community on Sunday (Jan. 13), with CSJP partnering with other government and non-government agencies in the effort. The day was a success, with a large number of residents and persons from...

The importance of the status of owners, operators and managers of insurance companies, consistent with the fit and proper stipulations in the Insurance Act (2001) of Jamaica, has been underscored by the Financial Services Commission (FSC). Speaking at a recent seminar, which the organization hosted in Kingston, on the topic: 'Fit & Proper Requirements for Insurance Companies', the FSC's Senior...

The British authorities on (January 14), announced a new border control action plan that includes the finger printing of all visa applicants, and plans for compulsory ID cards for foreign nationals who want to stay in the United Kingdom. Home Office Minister, Liam Byrnes announced that the global rollout of a programme requiring visa applicants to submit to fingerprint checks...

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has disclosed that the Government will be seeking to boost the country's agricultural production levels by getting agriculturalists who have been trained at the tertiary level, to return to farming. In this regard strategies are being employed to introduce technological advances into the industry, partnered with improved institutional support that would attract such persons who have...

The St. Mary Disaster Committee has planned a number of events to mark January as Earthquake Awareness Month. St. Mary Disaster Coordinator, Yolande Williams, told JIS News that the month will feature a special week of observances from January 13 to 19, which include a church service this Sunday at the New Testament Church of God in Trinity, Port Maria....

The Hanover Health Department has embarked on an extensive rodent eradication programme in Lucea, Hanover, to combat the increase in rodents in that town. "The problem of rodents in the town has resurfaced. We have started rebaiting critical areas especially in the commercial district, the market area and in the commercial area just last Friday," Chief Public Health Inspector for...

The Ministry of Agriculture is actively examining a proposal to utilize mined-out bauxite lands to launch a major greenhouse expansion programme. Prime Minister, Bruce Golding made this disclosure on Friday (Jan. 11) while addressing the management of JAMALCO at the company's processing plant in Hayes, Clarendon. Mr. Golding visited the facility as part of a tour of health and other...

Late former Prime Minister, Michael Manley, was formally accorded his place in the pantheon of the world's foremost civil rights champions, with a posthumous induction into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, (Jan. 12). Mr. Manley's footprints were unveiled by his widow, Glynne Manley, alongside ten other revered civil rights luminaries, on the International...