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The Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund continues to provide assistance to Jamaica's early childhood institutions. Recently, the Fund donated $2.58 million to carry out extensive repairs to the Operation Friendship and Regent Street Seventh Day Adventist Basic Schools in Kingston. The Operation Friendship Basic School, located on Darling Street in downtown Kingston, benefited from a significant face-lift...

Betrand Bainvel, Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Jamaica, has called for further development of the country's legislative arsenal to improve the state of the Jamaican child. He has also called for advancement of the laws to eliminate discrimination related to HIV/AIDS and the expansion of treatment opportunities. Mr. Bainvel was speaking at the launch of the...

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture says its Performance Based Review Programme should be fully underway in secondary and primary institutions island wide by September of this year. Director of Communications and Quality Co-ordination in the Ministry, Dorrett Campbell, tells JIS News that implementation of the programme, which completed its pilot phase in some 30 secondary and primary schools...

The Accident and Emergency area at the Falmouth Hospital has been given a face-lift by members of the Falmouth Rotary Club. The work included retiling of the floors and repainting of the walls of the building. Acting Parish Manager for Trelawny Health Services, Anthony Smikle told JIS News that she was pleased with the work done, and that upgrading the...

Director General in the Ministry of Development, Dennis Morrison has said that investments in tourism, which are about to take place, would give local firms yet another opportunity to do the things that are necessary to improve the competitiveness of their businesses. "In other words, we have always been saying that access to market is a very important part of...

In the past, an entire village was instrumental in raising the Jamaican child, however several social and economic factors have led to the erosion of this tradition. As a result, one of the challenges facing society is the way in which children are nurtured, convenor of the Values and Attitudes Committee, Reverend Marjorie Lewis has observed. In response to this...

Now that Jamaica has been granted approved destination status by the Chinese Government, the tourism sector is poised to benefit from the expected increase in Chinese visitors. This increase should materialize by year end, and Minister of Tourism, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba tells JIS News that the Ministry is already putting measures in place to accommodate them. She explains that it is...

Farmers and other stakeholders in the aquaculture industry have benefitted from a seminar on aquaculture diseases aimed at highlighting the impact of diseases in fish and shrimp production in the industry. The seminar was hosted by the American Soybean Association (ASA) at the Bodles Agricultural Research Station in Old Harbour recently. In his presentation, United Kingdom based Research Scientist and...

Hundreds of needy Portland residents are currently receiving treatment for eye defects at an eye clinic being held in Port Antonio by the Rotary Club of Port Antonio, and the South Dakota Branch of the Voluntary Optometric Services for Humanity (VOSH). The services being offered at the clinic include the provision of eyeglasses, screening for eye diseases, and examination for...

The Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA) has hailed its inaugural Buy Jamaican Essay Competition a tremendous success, with several schools and students winning attractive prizes for their outstanding entries. "It is my sincere belief that based on the standard of the essays received, our goal of heightening the consciousness of our youths has been achieved," Doreen Frankson, President of the JMA,...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is to be repositioned in keeping with the development goals of the country and its technical capacity enhanced to enable it to facilitate the development of a strong labour market and at the same time improve its capacity in conciliatory matters relating to labour disputes as well. This was agreed to at a...

Dr. the Hon Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security said that reducing the number of guns in the hands of criminals would be a top priority in the fight against crime. In order to achieve that objective Dr. Phillips said there will be greater use of cargo x-ray technology at airports and seaports. Other strategies will include improving the capability...