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Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Chairman of CARICOM, Dr. Denzil Douglas has, once again, come out in support of regional integration, describing it as the way forward for sustainable economic development within the Caribbean. "I am of the view that the future of the Caribbean has to be grounded in its ability to effectively integrate in such...

Dean of the Consular Corps, Arnold Foote, is the new President of the World Federation of Consuls. He was elected to the post yesterday (November 7), at the 8th World Congress of Consuls, which took place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Montego Bay from November 6 to 8. The Federation is an international organisation of persons serving in the...

Minister of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture, Aloun Ndombet Assamba, has said that there should be no significant fallouts from the United States Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which takes effect in January 2007. "We do not anticipate any significant fallout in terms of job loss and/or foreign exchange earnings," she assured in response to questions posed by Opposition Spokesman on...

Minister of Local Government and Environment, Dean Peart, has said that he was prepared to take strong corrective actions, instead of punitive ones, to ensure transparent administration of funds in the local parish councils, especially as it related to compliance with the competitive tender process. "I am sending a clear message to the local authorities. The affairs of the councils,...

The House of Representatives, yesterday (November 7), approved a Government guarantee for a US$200 million loan, to be raised by Clarendon Alumina Production (CAP) on the international capital market. "The proceeds will allow CAP to meet its financial obligations and put it in a position to contribute in terms of the expansion programme, which is envisaged for the Halse Hall...

Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, has said that the security forces would be using appropriate action to eradicate crime, violence and paramilitary groups plaguing the island. The Minister was speaking at the 19th staging of the Neighbourhood Watch Conference, at the University of Technology (UTech), on November 4. According to the Minister, the people of Jamaica would not...

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has disclosed that the gross enrolment ratio of students accessing tertiary level education now stands at nineteen per cent of the age cohort and that the goal of the government was to achieve a 30 per cent gross enrolment by 2015. The information was provided by the Hon. Donald Buchanan, Minister of Information and Development,...

Members of the Consular Corps of Jamaica have been commended for the representation they have been making to promote the country abroad, and the part they have played over the years in improving relations between the country and other states worldwide. Addressing the 8th World Congress of Consuls at the Ritz Carlton Golf and Spa Resort in Montego Bay, yesterday...

Government's initiatives to address trafficking in persons is bearing fruit, with 12 convictions and investigations to date, which have resulted in fines totaling $175,000 and four deportations. Minister of Information and Development, Donald Buchanan, who made the announcement at yesterday's (Nov.6) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, informed that there were eight specific trafficking in persons cases before the Supreme,...

A case study on the sugar cane industry conducted by the National Commission on Science and Technology (NCST), has recommended that the government provide financial and tax incentives for persons, who wished to invest in the sugarcane sector, including foreign investors. It also proposed offering tax exemptions on relevant equipment and offering assistance with soft loans through the Development Bank...

Several single mothers who reside near the Ewarton plant of the West Indies Alumina Company (Windalco), in St. Catherine, have been benefiting from a special home-based poultry rearing project, set up by the company some years ago. This initiative was conceptualised to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship among needy community members. In an interview with JIS News, Employee and Community...

Minister of State for Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Senator Kern Spencer, has called for increased use of innovative technologies in the sugar industry to ensure greater levels of efficiency within the sector. "We need to focus on applying more innovative techniques that will maximize efficiency within the sugar industry; innovation is a necessity that will lead to greater levels...