Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, says the Government is committed to providing additional resources and support to fight crime during the 2018/19 fiscal year. He says special attention will be given to the justice system, while social interventions targeting unattached youth will continue in earnest. The Governor-General was delivering the Throne Speech at the ceremonial opening...

As the Government prepares to implement new security measures, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that citizens’ rights are not violated during operations. This is specifically in relation to plans for the designation of zones of special operations for security and community development in areas with high levels of crime....

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, says companies that pay the General Consumption Tax (GCT) on group health insurance on behalf of their workers will be able to treat the payment as a deductible expense. Deductible expenses are those that can be subtracted from a company's income before it is subject to taxation. “Simply put, those...

The Defence Act is being amended to establish the Jamaica National Service Corps within the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). The Corps is one of seven under the Government’s Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) initiative, targeting job and training opportunities for unattached young people aged 19 to 24. Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who announced HOPE’s launch during...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, says the funding provided to the Student Loan Bureau (SLB) from the Education Tax is intact. He was responding to a statement from the Opposition that the SLB budget has been cut by $100 million for the 2017/18 fiscal year, as he closed the Budget Debate in the House of...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government has been working to provide additional housing solutions for Jamaicans. This, he said, by ensuring that more persons are able to access financing at lower rates, and that technology and best practices are integrated into construction in order to bring housing to the market at more affordable rates. “We are...

A national campaign to promote peace and reduce violence in all its forms will be launched this year. This was stated by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, while making his contribution to the 2017/18 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 21). He said the move forms part of concrete steps being taken by the...