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A key element in the increase in Jamaica's tourism arrivals over the years, has been the high quality of the country's public health system, which gives visitors to the island a comfortable feeling about their health and safety, said Dr. Rao Ponnada, Medical Officer of Health (MOH) with the St. James Public Health Services. He was speaking at the St....

The high cost of utilities, rapid increase in the fuel rate, crime and violence and HIV/AIDS at the workplace, are among the top agenda items for National Employer's Month, which got underway yesterday (Sept. 1). Other topics for discussion are: the social partnership; the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the challenges facing sugar and banana producers. JEF's president...

Some 244 students from small communities in and around the Essex Valley region of St. Elizabeth have received back-to-school assistance worth $2.5 million from Alumina Partners of Jamaica (ALPART). Public Relations Manager at ALPART, Lance Neita told JIS News that this was not the first time that the company was engaging in such a venture. "This is very much in...

Minister of State for Education, Youth and Culture, Dr. Donald Rhodd, has said that the government of Jamaica, through its various youth programme was providing interventions for the empowerment of young people. These various initiatives, which are being undertaken by the agencies such as the Heart Trust NTA, National Youth Service, (NYS) and the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD)...

Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Howard Cooke has called on Jamaicans at home and overseas to fully participate in efforts to reclaim the sense of patriotism and unity that seems absent in the country. Sir Howard issued the appeal today (September 1) as he launched Jamaica Homecoming Week 2005 (October 15 to October 22), at a press...

The nearly 350 Jamaican hotel workers, who are employed at three properties in Mississippi, United States, are reportedly safe in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and have been relocated to shelters. Workers were stationed at three hotel properties in Mississippi - two in the city of Biloxi, and one in Gulfport. All three hotels sustained major damage and have since...

Jamaican textile artist, Bryan Duncan is among 11 winners chosen from 170 entries for the 2005 Commonwealth Art and Craft Awards. The awards are organised by the Commonwealth Foundation. The other winners are painter, Kabelo Modise (Botswana); sculptors Nutan Bala and Dhananjay Kumar, and printmaker/installation artist Dimple Shah (India); painter, Mary Ogembo (Kenya); installation artist, Marnie Slater (New Zealand); printmaker,...

With the 'hot' local and international market for Jamaican pepper, farmers are being encouraged to get into this very lucrative industry. Howard O'Hara, regional marketing specialist at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), notes that there is a ready local and overseas market for the produce, which is not being filled by Jamaican farmers. He tells JIS News that currently,...

Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, Adelle Brown, has warned that children who are not immunised, would not be allowed to enrol in school. Mrs. Brown told JIS News, that it was mandatory that children were immunized prior to being admitted into schools. "The main aim is to avoid the spread of communicable diseases and...

Fifteen students from troubled communities across the island have benefited from $150,000 in scholarships from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), to assist with their back-to-school expenses. The donation was made as part of the JCF's annual scholarship award programme. Commissioner of Police, Lucius Thomas, in his address at the presentation ceremony held at his Old Hope Road headquarters in Kingston...

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) continues its growth and rebuilding efforts, pursuing all avenues to advance training for its staff, as the Office seeks to provide the best service to the Jamaican people, facilitating faster disposal of cases, thereby maintaining confidence in the justice system. In a JIS News interview, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions,...

Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF) President, Audrey Hinchcliffe, while expressing disappointment at the delay in the signing of the Partnership for Progress, said that her organization was heartened by the fact that in another couple of months, there would be a return to the table for discussions. Mrs. Hinchcliffe, who was the guest speaker at the launch of 'Western Expo 2005'...