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Farmers in St. Ann whose farms were destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in September last year, are expected to bounce back as relief assistance is being distributed. Acting Parish Manager of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Pedro Worghs, told JIS News that 765 vouchers valued $2.677 million has been received from the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR) to assist poultry...

Despite the effects of Hurricane Ivan, the country experienced growth of between 1 to 2 per cent last year and is projected to grow by 2 to 3 per cent in 2005, Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies has said. The Finance Minister, who was speaking to members of the diplomatic corps at a meeting at Jamaica House on...

Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, Phillip Paulwell, informed the House of Representatives on Tuesday (Jan. 25) that the 72-day amnesty that the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) offered to delinquent companies for the filing of documents had been very successful, with revenues quadrupling over the period. "I am very pleased to announce the tremendous success of this...

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies, has said that the vesting and portability of pension funds, were two critical areas of the Pension Act, which would be dealt with during the new legislative year. Dr. Davies, who was speaking at the Financial Services Commission (FSC) pension seminar, held today (Jan. 26) at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston,...

Jamaica has assumed the chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China for 2005, with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, K. D. Knight accepting the instrument of office from Ahmad Al-Mahmoud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Qatar yesterday (Jan. 25) at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York. Qater chaired the body for 2004. Minister Knight...

As of February 1, persons using the services of the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) will be required to pay more. Chief Executive Officer of the ORC, Judith Ramlogan Chong, told JIS News that fees for registering companies would be increased from $7,000 to $10,000 while the registration of annual returns moves from $3,000 to $4,000. Registering a...

In light of the new Companies Act, which will come on stream on February 1, the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) has embarked on a series of sensitization programmes to inform company directors and officers about their statutory obligations under the Act. The next sensitization session will be held at the Management Institute of National Development (MIND) headquarters...

The Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) is the beneficiary of a scholarship fund valued at US$3,500 from the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA). The fund is named for Monica Silvera, who was the first female director of the CSA. At the handing over of the cheque today (Jan. 26) at the CMI's Palisadoes headquarters in Port Royal, Corah Ann Robertson Sylvester, President...

Members of the island's Parish Councils and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation, who have served since January 1, 1986, are to receive retirement benefits, but will be required to pay contributions for service from that date, in order to be eligible for such benefits. The move will be effected following the passage of a Bill shortly titled, 'An Act...

Detective Constable Michael Grant of the Police Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) in Kingston, is the 2004 LASCO Top Cop. Detective Grant, who is the sub officer in charge of the Fingerprint Bureau, topped a field of 27 nominees and 11 finalists from across the island. Inspector Errol Thompson from the police training branch in Twickenham Park was the runner-up. At...

In carrying out its mandate of developing the early childhood sector, the Early Childhood Commission will be stipulating that all teachers in the sector possess at least Level 1 certification from the National Council on Technical Vocational and Education Training (NCTVET) in order to remain in the system. Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Maureen Samms-Vaughan, who made the announcement at...

Information Minister, Senator Burchell Whiteman has advised employers of minimum wage earners, not to deduct taxes from the salaries of their employees, as the Minister of Finance would shortly issue as order to remit income tax for such earners. Speaking at yesterday's (Jan. 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Senator Whiteman explained that the order would, "indicate that tax...