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Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun Ndombet Assamba, is appealing to Jamaicans to get involved in the development of tourism, so as to reap the many benefits that the industry had to offer. Mrs. Assamba, who was speaking at the launch of the Jamaica segment of the 'Freestay Caribbean' programme at the Ocho Rios pier on Thursday (Dec.15), noted that...

When the curtains rise on Gordon House at the start of the 2006/07 parliamentary year, one very familiar face will be missing from the Chambers. After 48 years in the government legal service, 11 of which were spent as Clerk to the Houses of Parliament, Sharonette Lewis is ready to take her leave from what is essentially the highest court...

Stakeholders in the poultry industry met recently to examine and come to a unified position on the use and regulation of antibiotics in chicken rearing. The meeting, which was held at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club in St. Catherine, also sought to help producers gain a broader understanding of the implications and opportunities that could be presented with greater...

Residents of Darliston, Westmoreland can now go about their business in a more organized manner, with the recent construction of a transport centre to serve the area. Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, Member of Parliament for Eastern Westmoreland, officially opened the facility on Friday (Dec.16), which was built at a cost of some $6.6 million, with the majority of the funding...

Some 350 homeless and indigent persons from Montego Bay and Lucea have benefited from the donation of clothing and medical supplies from the Agape International Foundation (AIF) and the Lenox Road Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York. The donation, valued at more than US$45,000, comprised wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, clothing and books including hundreds of bibles. Stephanie Robinson-Kellier from the AIF,...

The Senate on Friday (Dec.16) passed a Bill amending the Pensions (Prime Minister Act) to provide enhanced benefits for retired Prime Ministers and their surviving spouses or children. The adjusted provision serves to ratify a 1992 Cabinet decision, which permitted the payment of specific allowances to the surviving spouses of Prime Ministers and former Prime Ministers, even though the necessary...

For this festive season, the public is being urged to practise proper food safety measures as well as proper hygiene, so as to limit the cases of food-borne illnesses. Unsafe food storage in particular, can lead to food-borne illnesses that may cause diarrhoea, vomiting and fever, among other problems. According to Audrey Morris, Nutritionist and Food Safety Officer at the...

Since its establishment in 1998, the National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC) has successfully divested lands and housing units, securing titles for over 12,000 Jamaicans islandwide. In an interview with JIS News, Joseph Shoucair, Acting Managing Director of the NHDC, noted that over the period March to September 2005, the NHDC secured 2,918 titles for distribution. "This was important for purchasers,...

Effective April 1, 2006, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Works, as well as some other Permanent Secretaries will be asked to assume responsibility for managing the financial resources of their respective ministries. "It is expected at that time that from the application of the Ministry's recurring budget, to the appointment and establishment of the staff complement...

Chairman of the National Child Month Committee (NCMC), Dr. Pauline Mullings is encouraging the public to invite the less fortunate into their homes this Christmas season to share in the festivities. Speaking with JIS News, the Chairman said the season was one of giving and sharing and persons should take the opportunity to remember those less fortunate, especially children. "Invite...

Commerce, Science and Technology Minister, Phillip Paulwell, has said that some 10 per cent of the island's energy needs could come from renewable sources by the year 2010. The Minister, who was addressing the launch of the publication 'Renewable Energies Potential in Jamaica' this morning (Dec.16) at the Hilton Kingston hotel, said that the government was firmly committed to more...

Development Minister, Dr. Paul Robertson, said that the issue of renewable energies has become increasingly urgent, given the sharp increases in the price of oil in recent months and the negative impact this has had on inflation. Renewable energies include all energy sources and energy carriers, which are inexhaustible, and include the radiation of the sun, wind, waterpower, biomass and...