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Cabinet has approved measures aimed at reducing the estimated $2.8 billion electricity costs to the State for island’s 93,000 street lights. Speaking at Wednesday’s (December 19) Jamaica House Media Briefing, at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, announced that Cabinet has approved the introduction of policy standards on the...

Triple Olympic medalist, Yohan Blake, has urged wards of the Mount Olivet Boys Home in Manchester, to use their struggles as a motivation for success. Pointing out that hardship can lead to personal development and make people into stronger and better individuals, he encouraged them to use their experiences to fortify themselves and prepare for the future. “For me it...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, says restructuring of the Coffee Industry Board (CIB), now underway, is to improve its effectiveness in addressing the needs of the industry. “We have sought to separate the board in terms of administration from the business aspect of it. Things are changing and we will have to change with the times,” Mr....

Residents of 10 communities in St. Catherine, who have been trained in emergency management, were on December 20 presented with emergency radios to enhance their response during times of disaster. A total of 20 radios, valued at $474,000 (US$5,260), were handed over to representatives of the communities at a function held at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management’s...

The National Water Commission (NWC) is reporting that at the end of November its monthly billing for areas in Stony Hill, St. Andrew, reflected a 56 per cent increase, due to improvements in the water supply to six communities there. This has been facilitated through improvement in the Stony Hill distribution network, under the Category A1 works of the Jamaica...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, says that providing affordable housing solutions for Jamaicans is a top priority for the Government. "My administration is focused on getting houses and lands into the hands of as many persons as possible.  We are committed to giving priority status to housing for low-income earners,” she stated. The Prime Minister was speaking...

Rehabilitation work on the Trench Town Fire Station in Kingston, which was spearheaded by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Government at a cost of just over $2 million, has been completed. The station was closed earlier this year to facilitate reconstruction of the roof, after it was discovered that the original canopy was built from material containing asbestos,...

A Cays Management Policy is scheduled to be completed in  2013, State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Arnaldo Brown said. Speaking at the 107th meeting of the National Council on Ocean and Coastal Zone Management (NCOCZM), held on December 19 at the offices of the Ministry,  in  Kingston, Mr. Brown said the Cays Management...

Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna, says Cabinet is to consider expanding the role of the Child Development Agency (CDA) to give it jurisdiction over children in police lockups. Speaking at a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister on Tuesday (December 18), Minister Hanna informed that the CDA has no legal authority over children in...

Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, says a special unit is to be established within the Ministry to direct the development of linkages with other Ministries and agencies, in an effort to boost provisions within the sector. Addressing a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, Dr. McNeill said an advisory committee, comprising GraceKennedy’s Chief Executive Officer, Don...

Education officers will begin to receive some $557 million in retroactive payments in June 2013. The Government, on December 19,signed the Heads of Agreement to provide for the payments at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance and Planning in Kingston. The signatories included Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry, Hon. Horace Dalley; Minister of Education, Rev. the Hon....

Education Minister, Rev. the Hon. Ronald Thwaites, says that the Alternative Secondary Transitional Education Programme (ASTEP) has not “done what it was supposed to do.” Speaking on the Jamaica Information Service’s (JIS) Issues and Answers programme with Ian Boyne, the Education Minister said that several of the students in the programme have severe emotional and cognitive problems and their needs...