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The House of Representatives has approved amendments to address deficiencies in the existing laws to tackle money laundering and to ensure compliance with international anti-money laundering standards and treaty obligations. The relevant laws include the 'Bank of Jamaica Act', the 'Banking Act', the 'Financial Institutions Act' and the 'Building Societies Act'. Piloting the Bills in the House yesterday (October 12),...

The National Works Agency (NWA) is continuing its effort to make the nation's roads safer by improving road markings across the island, with work already begun in parts of eastern and central Jamaica.Between Friday, October 8 and Sunday, October 10, the NWA carried out a road-marking exercise in Mandeville, Colin Morrison, Community Relations Officer at the NWA told JIS News....

The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) has assumed responsibility for the rehabilitation of 59 secondary and tertiary institutions in seven parishes.Information Minister, Senator Burchell Whiteman made the disclosure at a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House yesterday (October 11). He told journalists that the UDC's assessment had confirmed the preliminary investigation carried out by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture,...

Seven water distribution, improvement, and restoration projects that have been developed by the National Water Commission (NWC) are to receive priority for completion during the next 12 months. The projects, some of which were at varying stages of implementation before Hurricane Ivan, have taken on added significance with the distribution of potable water to a number of communities across the...

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has stated that despite the setback caused by the passage of Hurricane Ivan, the Government will do all it can to adhere to the macro economic targets set at the start of the 2004/2005 fiscal year. Mr. Patterson said the country had begun to see a take off in growth and investments prior to the hurricane...

The Ministry of Health is currently implementing eradication measures, aimed at controlling the population of mosquitoes. Fogging, which is directed at the adult mosquitoes, has commenced in most parishes, in addition to vector control teams carrying out larvicidal activities, among other interventions, in order to eradicate them in the aquatic stage of development. Sherrine Huntley, Medical Entomologist in the Ministry...

The Sandy River to Macknie (via Rhoden Hall) main road in Clarendon, which was closed late last month, has been re-opened to single-lane traffic, Petra-kene Williams, Senior Communication Officer at the National Works Agency (NWA), has reported. However, Miss Williams told JIS News that motorists must still exercise caution while traversing the road, as the NWA was still carrying out...

Commerce, Science and Technology Minister, Phillip Paulwell has stressed that it was critical for the country to become engaged in oil exploration, as there could be oil supply disruption due to massive oil price increases on the global market. He also indicated that there was a distinct possibility that Jamaica had a number of untapped petroleum resources. Giving an address...

The Government of Jamaica is in the process of developing a modern comprehensive national Building Code that will among other things, address the peculiarities of high-rise buildings, and ensure that no single disaster can damage the island's building stock, which would make providing shelter and medical attention difficult in such an event. Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, Phillip Paulwell...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Errol Ennis has urged farmers in Portland who were affected by Hurricane Ivan to register with the programme currently being conducted by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA). This he said was necessary for them to access the assistance that government was providing for the farming sector as part of the recovery...

It has been four weeks since Hurricane Ivan ravaged Jamaica, leaving in its wake a severely damaged road network. The National Works Agency (NWA), in addition to being called upon to clear blocked thoroughfares and repair roads, which were broken away, is now required to patch the potholes roads across the island. "Since the passage of Hurricane Ivan, there has...

Track and Field legend, Herb McKenley will be presented with the Order of Merit (OM), Jamaica's third highest honour, on National Heroes Day (October 18). The athletic stalwart heads the list of 100 Jamaicans who will be officially recognized at the national honours and awards ceremony on that day at King's House. His award is only superseded by those of...