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Come December 31, 2008, when the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) is fully implemented, there will be no need for CARICOM nationals to have permits or skills certificates to work in members states, as by then, every category of the workforce would be eligible to move freely. Ivor Carryl, Programme Manager for CSME regional unit, made the disclosure as...

The relocation exercise, for residents of Hurricane-damaged communities in St. Catherine and Clarendon, will begin as early as next month. Minister of State for Education, Youth and Culture, Senator Noel Monteith, in his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on February 3, informed that housing solutions would be provided for some 400 residents hailing from...

State Minister in the Education, Youth and Culture Ministry, Senator Noel Monteith has said that the Ministry is aiming to provide 14,000 new school spaces by September 2007. Senator Monteith, who was making his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on February 3, explained that the school spaces would be provided through the expansion of...

Minister of Development, Dr. Paul Robertson has urged stakeholders in the bauxite industry to "let good sense prevail", so that the gains made in the industry could be preserved. Speaking on the weekend at the Jamaica Bauxite Institute's 30th anniversary awards luncheon at the Knutsford Court Hotel, the Minister with responsibility for bauxite, said he hoped the stakeholders would find...

A year after Jamaica was granted approved destination status from China, plans are being put in place for the country to begin receiving some of the more than 19 million Chinese tourists who travel annually, by early 2007. Deputy Director of Tourism, David Shields, informs JIS News that since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last year February...

Awards and attractive prizes will be handed out to outstanding employees of the Sandals Whitehouse European Village and Spa, located at Whitehouse in eastern Westmoreland, at the hotel's first annual staff awards presentation on February 9. The function will form part of activities for the weeklong anniversary celebrations from February 5 - 11. Director of Public Relations at the hotel,...

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, Senator Noel Monteith has called for an end to the glorification of violence through all types of media. "Our children through these various media - cable television, the computer and video games - have become desensitised to the plethora of violent acts explicitly shown through these media," he said. Making...

Jamaica's children have found a strong voice in Mary Clarke, veteran teacher and former senior projects officer with the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), who has been appointed the new Children's Advocate. Her appointment became effective on January 1, 2006. Mrs. Clarke, who comes to the fore with an enviable track record of success in matters concerning children at all...

If Haiti is included, the combined population of the CARICOM Single Market (CSM) would be 14 million persons. However, as it is now, the Single Market's combined population stands at around 6 million persons, with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately US$300 million. Because of its current political uncertainty, Haiti is unable to participate in the CSM at...

Government's effort to improve and re-brand the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) in 2005 as well as the 32 per cent fare increase in August 2005, have reaped dividends, as the bus company's financial standing has improved. "Revenue for April to December 2005 amounted to $1.915 billion, an increase of 16.32 per cent over the corresponding period in 2004," disclosed...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Senator Deika Morrison, has reported that the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC), facilitated technical service support in the establishment of some 2,164 new businesses in 2005. Contributing to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate, yesterday (February 3), she said that during the course of last year, the...

State Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Senator Deika Morrison, has reiterated the government's commitment to the growth and development of entrepreneurship in Jamaica, particularly the small and medium enterprise sector. She pointed out that the National Insurance Fund would be investing $1 billion over the next three years in the micro enterprise sector, as announced by Prime...