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The Ministry of Local Government and Environment has been granted a sum of $73 million to implement a Protected Areas and Land Management Project (PALM), in the 2006/07 Estimates of Expenditure now before the House of Representatives. The initiative, which is expected to run from April 2006 to March 2009, is aimed at achieving effective management of watersheds and coastal...

The Ministry of Local Government and Environment will be expending some $3.2 million this fiscal year, towards its project for the phasing out of ozone depleting substances. The allocation, which is made available in the 2006/07 Estimates of Expenditure now before the House of Representative, will be used to fund the ongoing public awareness programmes on ozone depleting substances (ODS);...

Today is the deadline for Ashtrom Building Systems to submit the long overdue construction schedule for the upgrading of the Sabina Park cricket ground, to the Board of Jamaica Cricket (JC) 2007 Limited. Robert Bryan, Executive Director of the local organising committee for the event, told journalists at a press briefing at his Oxford Road offices recently, that the Board...

Jamaica as a tourist destination will be the featured country at this year's annual Houston International Festival, in Houston, Texas, beginning on Saturday April 22. The event is being coordinated by the Houston Festival Foundation Incorporated in partnership with the Greater Houston Partnership, Houston Convention and Visitors' Bureau, the Houston Protocol Alliance, the Mayor's office, local chambers of commerce and...

Sharon Pajunen and Mark Williams of Toronto, Canada are winners of the Jamaica Dream Vacation contest, which was sponsored by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), Air Canada Vacations, and Couples Resorts. The two beat out more than 107,000 hopefuls to win the contest, which was featured in the November 2005 issue of Chatelaine Magazine, one of Canada's leading women's publications....

Cricket fans in Jamaica can now breathe a sigh of relief as contrary to reports, the Jamaican leg of the India tour is still on. According to Executive Director of the Jamaica Local Organising Committee (LOC), Robert Bryan, the matches on May 18 and 20 would be played as scheduled at Sabina Park. He was speaking at a press conference...

The 67th annual Portland Farmers Agricultural Exposition will be held at the Old Port Antonio Marina on Thursday, April 20. In an interview with JIS News, Thelma Williams, Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) Regional Manager, said the exposition would be held under the theme: 'Festival of Food - From Production to Consumption', and would feature a number of displays, including agricultural...

Members of 4-H clubs in Portland have been challenged to use the skills they have acquired in the organization to empower themselves to become responsible and productive citizens in their communities. The charge came from Roselyn Fisher, Executive Director of the Scientific Research Council, when she gave the main address at the official opening of the 2006 Portland 4-H Youth...

The more than 100,000 receipt books being prepared for distribution to farmers under the Anti-Praedial Larceny Programme will be ready for distribution during the final week of April. Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) President, Senator Norman Grant, speaking at the opening of the Montpelier Agricultural Show in St. James on Monday (April 17), said that the receipt books would cost farmers...

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Dr. Barbara Carby, has called on the Jamaican government to make disaster mitigation a national priority. Speaking against the background of the increasing frequency of natural disasters within the Caribbean and Latin American and their resulting significant economic and social impacts, Dr. Carby stressed that, "at the national...

Ground is to be broken this year for the construction of a hospital in Portmore. This was disclosed to JIS News over the weekend by Mayor of Portmore, George Lee. He pointed out that an agreement was being worked out for the building of a 200-bed hospital for the Municipality, at a cost of US$40 million. "We have had extensive...

Work in the area of Livestock Research and Improvement will continue in the Ministry of Agriculture and Land with a $21 million allocation, which has been set out in the 2006/07 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The project, which is concerned with research activities focusing on improving the quality of livestock and animal products, comprises nine...