Jamaica received official development assistance (ODA) funding worth US$140.9 million during 2019 from international development partners (IDPs). This was 36.2 per cent lower than the sum received the previous year, according to the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) 2019 Economic and Social Survey. The document indicates that the 2019 provision comprised loans amounting to US$65 million, and grants totalling US$75.9...

Campus Director, The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Western Jamaica Campus (WJC), Dr. Patrick Prendergast, says innovative models and approaches are needed to enhance the process of developing sustainable cities and communities in Jamaica and the rest of the region. This, he said, in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient...

The deadline for submission of applications for the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) Enterprise Development Grant has been extended to Friday, September 18, at 4:00 p.m. A grant of up to $400,000 is available to eligible entrepreneurs from the communities of Salt Spring and Anchovy in St. James; Treadlight in Clarendon, and August Town, Greenwich Town and Denham Town in...

Two hundred at-risk youth from communities across the parish of Clarendon are to benefit through a new crime-prevention initiative – the Clarendon Collaborative Action Project. The initiative is a new approach to crime prevention that utilises several integrated social strategies to address deviant and antisocial behaviours among youth and empower them to become productive members of society. The project will...

The Social Development Commission is advising that its Corporate Office, Kingston and St. Andrew, Portmore and St Thomas Offices will be closed to the public Tuesday August 25, 2020 and Wednesday August 26, 2020. The temporary closure is to facilitate deep cleaning and sanitization of the offices given the exposure of staff to an individual who has tested positive for...

Local authorities and partner agencies received 3,773 development applications valued at $148.3 billion in the last financial year, with 2,777 approved within 90 days, representing an approval rate of nearly 84 per cent. Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, made the disclosure during his 2020/21 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (July 21),...

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development is in the process of instituting measures aimed at further strengthening the accountability framework at Municipal Corporations. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says chief among these is the implementation of a new accounting-based system, for which technical assistance support is being provided by the European Union (EU). He also mentioned the proposed...