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The long awaited Municipal Court system to deal with parochial matters, will be introduced across the island soon. According to Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, the move to establish municipal courts, although being part of the Local Government process, is being done under a wider Justice Reform Programme, to establish specialised courts. “The Ministry has...

As part of efforts by the Ministry of Tourism to boost airlifts, particularly out of the North East tri-state area of the United States (US), Director of Tourism, John Lynch, will leave the island this weekend for the Fifth Routes Americas Conference in Nassau, Bahamas. The conference, which will last from February 19 to 21, brings together all the major...

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Roger Clarke, has urged the country’s potato and goat farmers to produce more, in order to further reduce imports and the associated costs, and safeguard the nation’s food security. Speaking at the annual general meetings of the Christiana Potato Growers and Jamaica Goat Farmers Associations, in Manchester and St. Catherine, respectively, on February  16, Mr....

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Derrick Kellier, is urging employees to take charge of their sex lives by using a condom, getting an HIV test, and reducing the number of sex partners, to prevent HIV/AIDS. He said that HIV/AIDS has been described by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as a major threat to the world of work, affecting...

Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna, says that Jamaica Day, which celebrates Jamaica’s history and its achievements, is not only important but vital, especially to the younger generation. “A lot of our children at the primary and secondary school levels are not really clear on some of the battles that had to be fought to get us here....

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, has informed that Jamaica will undertake a number of projects aimed at building the country’s resilience to the effects of climate change. Speaking at a post Durban climate change press briefing, held on February 16 at the Terra Nova Hotel, in Kingston, Mr. Pickersgill said proposals are being prepared...

Twelve residents of the Havana community in Trench Town, South St. Andrew on February 15 received their property titles from the National Housing Trust (NHT), having completed payments on their loans. The titles were presented by Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Dr. Omar Davies and Managing Director, NHT, Cecile Watson, during a handing over ceremony at the Trench...

State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, said the Government will continue to forge partnerships with members of the Diaspora in an effort to increase investments, particularly in the development of small enterprises. “For our Ministry, we’re looking at getting support not only from our local investors, but we’re also looking to the Jamaican Diaspora for support....

Jamaica will intensify efforts to secure US$billions in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), as the Government looks to implement a number of strategic projects that have the potential to sustain economic growth and development. This was stated by Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), Hon. Anthony Hylton on February 15, as he addressed an investment forum staged by Mayberry Investments...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, has called on Parish Councils to ensure that comprehensive audits are carried out on street lights, in order for the Ministry to make submissions to the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) Limited for a reduction of the tariff on electricity. “The prevailing charges from street lights cannot be borne by...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke, has said that the Research and Development Division must play a greater role in driving growth in the industry. Mr. Clarke was addressing staff of the Bodles Research Station on February 15, at the facility station’s location in Old Harbour, St. Catherine. He noted that research “isn’t something sexy,” and the work...

Speaking at the Jamaica House press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, on February 15, Dr. McNeill explained that  during that period, for the most part, stopover arrivals remained relatively flat, experiencing growth in only three of those months, resulting in a 0.8 decrease overall. He pointed to a number of factors which contributed to that decline, including...