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The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), will be undertaking a study to examine the contribution of the agricultural sector to the economy. "According to the official data, agriculture contributes six per cent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Even though the sector engages over 200,000 Jamaicans, if it is examined...

The Ministry of Health and Environment is devising a quality agenda to improve the delivery of service in the health sector. Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry, Dr. Sheila Campbell-Forrester, speaking at a recent meeting involving Ministry officials and hospital administrators and senior medical personnel at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston, disclosed that a committee, comprising representatives from the...

Minister of Energy, Mining and Telecommunications, Clive Mullings, has announced that the Ministry will be placing emphasis on the establishment of community access points, as part of efforts to increase public access to information technology. "We are going to have these community access points in shops, community centres and the like. This means that the man in the community can...

The government will be undertaking a major overhaul of sewage lines in the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA) and areas of St. Catherine, with first-phase work to begin after the commissioning of the Soapberry wastewater treatment plant next January. Minister of Water and Housing, Dr. Horace Chang, who made the disclosure following a tour of the plant recently, said the project...

Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, has underscored the important role that Justices of the Peace (JP) play in the administration of justice in the country, thereby ensuring the orderly functioning of the society. Delivering the main address at the swearing in ceremony of 26 new JPs for Portland at the Ken Wright Pier in Port Antonio...

Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, has directed an eleven-member committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the Libel and Slander Act. At a meeting with the committee at Jamaica House, Mr. Golding reiterated that the legislation should be updated to better allow the press greater freedom to present information that is important to the public. He said that too...

Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, has indicated that he will, for public discussion, reintroduce the proposal for community dispute tribunals. This, Mr. Golding said, would fit into the government's community-based approach to development, and ease the burden on the country's courts. "Part of the problem with our justice system is that it is overloaded. We have a backlog at...

During the week of November 18 to 24, the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Jamaica and the People's Republic of China will be commemorated with television feature exchanges between private and public sector media entities in both countries. Jamaican art, cuisine, and other aspects of national life will be featured on Chinese television and, correspondingly, television...

As the government seeks to simplify the process of contract procurement Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, has asked the Jamaican Institute of Architects (JIA) to submit its input. Mr. Golding made the request at a meeting with executives of the Institute at Jamaica House this morning (Nov. 13). The Prime Minister emphasized that, the government is committed to criminalizing...

The Education Transformation Team (ETT) on (Nov.15) officially launched its Citizenship Education Programme, which is aimed at improving values and attitudes and promoting a sense of patriotism among students. The programme, which started in October in 120 primary and high schools, is part of the Behaviour Change and Community Work Stream, which seeks to address anti-social behaviour, disciplinary problems and...

The Government is welcoming a decrease in road deaths from crashes involving public passenger vehicles (PPV), even as it continues its drive to reduce those fatalities even further. At the same time however, an increase in the number of persons dying from crashes involving private motor vehicles continues to be cause for concern. The Road Safety Unit of the Ministry...

The National Health Fund (NHF) has added the A1C blood test to its list of benefits, which will reduce by 80 per cent to 90 per cent, the cost of the test for diabetics, who are covered under the Fund. The A1C blood test is regarded as the gold standard for the monitoring and management of diabetes and NHF cardholders...