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Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, says the Government is committed to the downward trend in interest rates, and is not willing to go the route of a stimulus economic programme, as this means engaging in higher deficit expenditure, which could lead to a reversal of low domestic interest rates. “This administration is committed to doing all...

To encourage improved sanitation practices among residents in the Corporate Area, the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) and the Social Development Commission (SDC) have rolled out a Downtown Clean Community competition. The competition, which runs from May 21 to 31, forms part of a public health clean-up initiative, which provides an incentive for communities that make sustainable strides to...

Nominations are now open for the 2012 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Jamaica. Making the announcement, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said, “In this 50th year of our political independence it is important that we celebrate the people who have helped to build our country, many of whom are unsung heroes in their communities, here and abroad."...

Plans to improve operations of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Polygraph Unit have been bolstered with the injection of approximately $59 million ($705,000 CAD). The money, donated by the Canadian Government, will be used for training, equipment and upgrading work, with the objective of making the unit a centre of excellence for training in the use of polygraph applications in...

President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr. Warren Smith, says member countries must commit to a programme of reform in order to address existing challenges. He stated that countries that implement far reaching reforms stand to reap substantial benefits in terms of more robust and resilient economic growth “and greater capacity to address the curse of poverty and deprivation...

Minister of Finance, Planning and the Public Service, Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, says the government is committed to the maintenance of a stable macro-economic environment. “The return to high interest rates is not an option,” the Minister said, while opening the 2012/13 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, on May 24. Dr. Phillips told the House that the foreign...

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), in Charge of Operations, Glenmore Hinds, says to ensure that the integrity of senior officers is of the highest standard, they are requested to undergo polygraph examinations, commonly known as lie detector tests, prior to promotion. “Not many employers can say that their employees are in fact fit for the job through the process of...

The Government is proposing a half-yearly report on the performance of the economy for each fiscal year, as it seeks to further strengthen the role of Parliament in providing oversight for the country's economic programme, and specifically, in controlling the debt. The report is being proposed  under the Financial Administration and Audit Act regulations, Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon....

Jamaicans are to benefit from a reduction in the General Consumption Tax (GCT), from 17.5 per cent to 16.5 per cent, which will result in a lowering of prices on consumer goods and services, which currently attract GCT. "This is the first in a number of steps that will be taken to reduce the standard rate over the medium term,"...

Some 24 experts in the local financial sector have been awarded post-graduate certification in financial services management, following their completion of a 14-month course via the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) e-Learning Campus. The course, which lasted from September 2010 to November 2011, covers a range of topics in the field of financial services, including risk management, global capital markets and...

Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, has lauded the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) as an important vehicle for deepening the participation of Jamaicans in the economy. He said history has proven that unless there is a medium for allowing ordinary persons to participate in capital markets, the economy tends to become elitist, and by definition, oppressive.   “For that...

Hundreds of persons turned out in St. Elizabeth on Labour Day (May 23), to beautify towns, clean community spaces, build community amenities and homes for the elderly. Many of the projects were completed, and in other cases significant work was done with many of the residents promising to volunteer their time to ensure that they are completed in short order....