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The capacity of the island’s vulnerable communities to improve their resilience to climate change and other risk factors has been further boosted with an allocation of $19.6 million. As outlined in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, the money has been provided  under the ‘Enhancing the Resilience of the Agricultural Sector and Coastal Areas’  project. The project aims to protect the...

The Government’s development strategy is to be further advanced with another allotment of $10.1 million in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The sum has been provided under the Technical Cooperation Facility IV project, which aims to contribute to the implementation of the Jamaican Government's development strategy, through support to programmes financed by the European...

The Government has set aside more than $100 million to upgrade facilities at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium, and the National Arena,  in St. Andrew. For the Trelawny stadium, irrigation infrastructure will be constructed at a cost of $57 million, while a $60 million enhancement project will be undertaken at the National Arena, to host national, regional and international events. Anticipated...

The Government is to spend $1.3 billion this fiscal year to increase its fleet of Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses. The money has been provided in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. A sum of $500 million of the allocation will be used to complete the acquisition of 35 Chinese buses by the JUTC...

Public access to Jamaica’s cultural heritage will be improved by a $96 million upgrading project to develop advanced audiovisual technology and more frequent outreach activities. The money will be used to complete the second phase of the construction and diorama for the Natural History Museum of Jamaica’s Exhibition Gallery; and complete the preparatory infrastructure works at three areas of the...

Two training courses are to be implemented this fiscal year for Government and non-Government officers in European Union (EU) procedures. This is to be done under the Technical Cooperation Facility (TCF) V project, for which $129.3 million has been provided in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The project seeks to identify, formulate and implement...

More marketing opportunities are expected to open up for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) involved in food processing this fiscal year, with a boost of $180 million. The money has been provided in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure under the Economic Partnership Agreement II (EPA II) Capacity Building Project, which aims to support the Government of Jamaica in addressing...

Public health officials are to receive further training this fiscal year in food safety and other related standards under the European Development Fund (EDF) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Capacity Building Project. This is being done in a bid to increase awareness of international standards and technical requirements in the public sector, in relation to food safety as well as animal...

The Government is to design and implement a national transport repository with an allocation of $666 million in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure. This Trifold National Repository will comprise the Transport Statistics Database; Transport Research Databank; and the Geographic Information System (GIS) Database. For the 2016/17 period under the project, it is anticipated that a joint interface will be developed...

A pilot project to reap a minimum of 300 hectares of sugar cane using green harvesting techniques is to be implemented by September 30, 2016. This activity is to be carried out under the Sugar Transformation Programme for which the Government has allocated $2.38 billion in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure. The programme seeks to develop a sustainable private sector-led...

The Research and Development Plant Health laboratory at the Bodles Agricultural Research Station, in St. Catherine, is to be refurbished this fiscal year, with an allocation of $465.7 million. To be disbursed under the Agricultural Competitiveness Programme, the money, which is  contained in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, will also be used to refurbish quarantine facilities at two Veterinary Services Division...

The country’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are to benefit from grants and loans this fiscal year, which will help to enhance their productivity. A sum of $850 million has been set aside in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure to facilitate this and other initiatives under the Jamaica Foundations for Competiveness and Growth project, in the Ministry of Economic Growth...