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The Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division (FSPID) of the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce destroyed some 118 bags of bakery flour, weighing just over 3.5 metric tonnes, which were infested with the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum), this week. The red flour beetle, which is common in Jamaica, primarily infests processed food items such as rice, flour,...

The National Union of Co-operative Societies Limited (NUCS), as part of activities to mark its 50th anniversary, staged an exposition at the office of the Department of Co-operatives and Friendly Societies, Kingston, on Thursday (October 8). The exposition was held under the theme, 'Co-operatives.The Way to Go.The Way to Grow', and featured over 20 booths displaying an array of products...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, has said that the tax collection process must be more flexible to encourage greater compliance. "It is common sense that if somebody doesn't have all the money you can get some of it now, (and) even though it's a bit late, you take it. So everything we do, we have to...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, has described heavy bureaucracy as a cancer of commerce, impeding development and crippling progress. "It frustrates an entrepreneur and, no matter how much money you have, or how many skills you have, as a young or seasoned business person, if you have to exist in an environment of bureaucratic impediment, you're...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, says the private sector needs to speak with one voice, as it seeks to strengthen its partnership with the Government, in order to make Jamaica a place of choice to do business. Mr. Samuda was speaking at a panel discussion on the findings of the joint World Bank/International Finance Corporation (IFC)...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, has called on players in the hospitality industry to support local manufacturers, whose products meet international standards. "There has been detected, a veiled resistance to support some of our well established manufacturing entities," Mr. Samuda told a press conference at his Ministry in Kingston on Tuesday (September 29). "We have been...

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce has adjusted its application to the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) for a suspension of the Common External Tariff (CET) on imported cement, from 170,000 tonnes to 120,000 tonnes. Minister with portfolio responsibility, Hon. Karl Samuda, who made the announcement at his New Kingston office this morning (Sept. 29), said...

Consultant on the National Housing Policy, Mr. Carlton Cunningham, has said that the construction industry in Jamaica must be developed, with more players involved in the sector. "At the moment, if there is a major job to be done in construction or any major housing development, I guarantee you that there will be two or three or maybe four names...

The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) is urging charitable groups to file outstanding documents to ensure compliance with the Companies Act and to prevent their businesses from being removed from the register. "The issue of removal has serious implications for these companies," said Business Registration Manager at the COJ, Camille Neil. She noted that most of these companies "have assets...

Chairman of the Bauxite and Alumina Task Force, Dr. Carlton Davis, has said that stakeholders, especially banks, must become far more proactive in facilitating economic growth. "The financial sector must see itself playing a constructive role in the diversification and development agenda, and we must move seriously to diversify the economy, and agriculture is one means of doing it," he...

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce has embarked on an inter-ministerial collaborative initiative, aimed at building partnerships that will pursue investment prospects globally, by promoting Jamaica as an ideal location for doing business. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda, says this new thrust is intended to enhance foreign direct investments (FDIs), thereby boosting the country's foreign exchange earnings. Mr. Samuda...

The gains made in the maritime sector are expected to be boosted by the country's current close association with public and private sector interests in Singapore, a world leader in the industry. Jamaica has been receiving various forms of technical and logistical assistance from that South-East Asian country, Transport and Works Minister, Hon. Michael Henry, pointed out, in his 2009/10...