The Government’s trade and investment company, JAMPRO, will be bringing in investors from North America and the United Kingdom to connect with local businesses during next month’s staging of the Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay. Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, said the agency will execute a ‘Business Connect’ strategy at the conference, and mount a major...

The Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), last year, facilitated $7.58 billion in capital expenditures from landed investments, which in turn created 6,754 jobs. This was disclosed by Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, on Tuesday, May 14, during his Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives. The Minister said JAMPRO also facilitated $2.86 billion in export sales...

The Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (MSME) and Entrepreneurship Policy, which provides a comprehensive, targeted and coherent framework to support the sector, is now before Parliament for its deliberations. Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, said the policy, which was approved by Cabinet, also seeks to position businesses to benefit from opportunities which are expected to come from...

Member of Parliament for North West Manchester, Mikael Phillips, is placing emphasis on education, through a number of initiatives to enhance the nutrition of students, and improve sanitary facilities and the school environment. Mr. Phillips, who was making his contribution to the 2013/2014 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 14, said he will be working with the...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Anthony Hylton, is hailing the successful reopening of the scrap metal trade. The Minister informed the House of Representatives during his 2013/14 Sectoral Debate presentation on Tuesday, May 14, that since the restart in January, the trade has generated significant employment and foreign exchange earnings, in areas such as manufacturing, the financial sector,...

Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) Governor, Brian Wynter, is reporting a US$113 million increase in the country’s Net International Reserves (NIR). The figure is US$997.3 million as at May 10, compared to US$884.3 million at the end of March. Mr. Wynter attributed the improvement to “substantial” purchases of foreign exchange from the market by the BoJ, as well as the initial...

The Health and Family Life Curriculum has been revised for required use in all schools by September. Making his contribution to the 2013/14 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 15, Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, said the revision was undertaken by a broad-based working group. He said the curriculum is now “positive, value-laden and...

The Ministry of Education has earmarked some $11 billion to boost provisions for early childhood and special education institutions islandwide. Portfolio Minister, the Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, who made the disclosure during his Sectoral presentation in Parliament on Wednesday, May 15, said the allocation, which represents 14.6 per cent of the Ministry’s recurrent budget, is aimed at ensuring the provision...