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The Government will be increasing provisions to the Student Loan Bureau (SLB) in the new financial year. Education Minister, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, said that this will enable the organisation to provide more loan support to students, who wish to pursue tertiary education. “I believe that I can say that in the upcoming financial year, increased provision will be made...

The Universal Service Fund (formerly Universal Access Fund) has upgraded the computer laboratory at the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation’s Trafalgar Road headquarters in St. Andrew at a cost of $3.5 million. The lab, which was officially handed over on Monday (January 14) during a brief ceremony, has been outfitted with 20 computers, a server, printer, uninterruptible power supply (UPS),...

Two new pesticides have been introduced to the market, giving farmers increased options in safeguarding their crops, while maximising yields. The products - Revus and Engeo - were officially launched by AgroGrace Jamaica in collaboration with Syngenta during a ceremony on Tuesday (January 15) at the AgroGrace premises on Spanish Town Road in Kingston. The pesticides are ideally suited for...

The Ministry of Youth and Culture has commenced an audit of the children’s homes and places of safety so as to identify the needs of these institutions. This was disclosed by Portfolio Minister, Hon. Lisa Hanna, following a visit to the juvenile sections of the Fort Augusta Correctional Centre in St. Catherine and the Horizon Remand Centre in Kingston on...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, says that approximately 12,000 permanent jobs were created in the country during the last quarter. Prime Minister Simpson Miller made the statement at a special media briefing at Jamaica House on January 14, following a three-day Cabinet retreat that ended on Saturday (January 12). The Prime Minister told journalists that Cabinet received...

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Child Development Agency (CDA), Carla Francis Edie, is appealing to parents and guardians to visit their children in child care institutions. Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’, held Tuesday (January 15) at the agency’s head office in Kingston, Mrs. Edie said that parents must use every opportunity to visit, even if...

With two months remaining to the March 15 income tax filing deadline, Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) is reminding all companies, organisations, self-employed persons, including professionals and entertainers, as well as employed persons with additional sources of income that preparations should be underway for them to file their Final Income Tax Return for 2012 and a Declaration of Estimated Income and...

The discretionary power of the Minister of Finance to grant waivers will soon be restricted. Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, told a special post Cabinet retreat press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, on Monday (January 14), that a comprehensive review of the discretionary power of the Minister of Finance to grant waivers has...

The Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) on Monday (January 14) presented the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) with inputs, which will assist with the restoration of its teaching facilities for protected agriculture. The inputs include seedlings, agro chemicals, shade netting, and galvanised piping material. The facilities suffered some damage from the passage of Hurricane Sandy in...

The work of the Earthquake Unit at the University of the West Indies, Mona, in monitoring the country’s seismic activities, has been enhanced with a donation of US$30,000 by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM). The money, which will be used to facilitate the installation of four motion seismographs (accelerometers), was handed over on Monday (January 14),...

The parish of St. Mary has a new Custos Rotulorum. He is hotelier Jeffrey McKitty, who was sworn in on Monday (January 14), during a ceremony at King’s House. Mr. McKitty replaces Hon. Alrick Pottinger, whose retirement became effective on December 31, last year. Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, who presided over the brief ceremony, expressed...

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller says though an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will give the Government some needed assistance, the IMF is not the solution to all our problems but what is needed is a partnership among all Jamaicans. The Prime Minister made the comment as she addressed a Media Briefing on Monday (January 14) at Jamaica...