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Cabinet has given approval for drafting instructions for legislation, which is intended to allow for the creation of a regional body to be named the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health professions. Information Minister, Senator Burchell Whiteman, made this disclosure at the post-Cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House yesterday (January 10). The Minister said the...

Jamaica's Consul General to New York, Dr. Basil K. Bryan has appealed to overseas Jamaicans to support the Tsunami Relief Fund launched by Prime Minister P. J. Patterson last week, with the country's contribution of $15 million. Cheques can be made payable to the Jamaica Tsunami Relief Fund, and sent to the Consulate General of Jamaica, 767 Third Avenue, 2nd...

Thirty-two police officers attached to the St. Ann Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have been awarded for their outstanding contribution to crime fighting efforts in the region. At the awards function held on January 7 at the Runaway Bay HEART Hotel, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Area 2 Division, Gilbert Kameka, said that the St....

The Montego Bay abattoir, which has been closed since August 2002 to facilitate refurbishing work, should be reopened within the next month, said Tubal Brown, Superintendent of Roads and Works at the St. James Parish Council. Work on the facility is almost completed with the only outstanding task being the installation of three settling cambers to facilitate connection to the...

Scores of family members and well wishers turned out to say farewell and celebrate the life of community stalwart, Jamaican born Oswald (Ossie) George Smith, one of the founding members of the Jamaica Society Manchester. Mr. Smith who was born in Kingston in 1936 and migrated to Manchester at age 20, was remembered as a proud Jamaican who was committed,...

The Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) has donated $450,000 towards the development of a project in the Longville Park community in Clarendon, designed to teach good parenting skills. The opening exercise for the parenting skills training workshop was held on Saturday, January 8 at the Longville Park Community Centre. First Vice President of the Citizens Association, Baldvin McKenzie, said that...

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has disclosed that Jamaica has been granted "Approved Destination Status" by China, the world's seventh largest nation of international tourism travellers. He said the development was a major milestone that would open the entire Caribbean region to a potentially new market and a valuable source of new tourism revenue. Mr. Patterson was speaking on Sunday (Jan....

It is a great pleasure for me to add my own words of welcome to all of you on my own behalf and on behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica. It is indeed heartening to see this large number of distinguished guests and participants here this evening. We are happy that you were able to join us for...

The Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) is the beneficiary of a $1.7 million nursery from the G. Raymond Chang Foundation, which will be used to produce seedlings for distribution to farmers planting on reclaimed bauxite lands. Ray Chang of G. Raymond Chang Foundation, one of the leading investors in Walkerswood, handed over the facility to JBI's General Manager Parris A. Lyew-Ayee,...

The banana industry should be fully recovered from the effects of Hurricane Ivan by July, but export of the fruit could start from as early as April, says Dr. Marshall Hall, Chairman of the Banana Company of Jamaica (BECo). He tells JIS News, that since the passage of the Hurricane in September, the industry has lost more than US$16 million...

With the government-commissioned report on tax reform now completed and submitted to Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, Director General of Tax Administration Clive Nicholas says the country has a significantly improved tax infrastructure making it more convenient for people to pay their taxes. "Today, we have a much improved infrastructure; it's more convenient and easy for people to...

The Jamaican Diaspora will be maintaining its lobby efforts against the European Union's proposed 37 per cent price cut on sugar from African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Executive Chairman of the Sugar Industry Authority (SIA), Ambassador Derick Heaven, told JIS News that, "a lot of the Jamaicans are now writing letters to their MPs (Members of Parliament) and those...