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President of Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Patricia Francis, has said that this year's United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report is critical to aiding the direction of JAMPRO's investment strategies. This was necessary, she said, as the Corporation's recent dynamic foreign investment programme and performance had plateaued this year. Mrs. Francis was speaking at the launch...

A number of local companies and organizations are benefiting from state funding, among other fiscal incentives, to undertake research and development projects under the government of Jamaica's programme to encourage innovation in science and technology for competitiveness and employment creation. Commerce, Science and Technology Minister Phillip Paulwell, who made the announcement as he addressed the launch of the 2005 United...

Jamaicans in South Florida have undertaken to repair two schools in Jamaica, as they return home to participate in Homecoming Week, to be observed from October 15 to 22. The first project is to repair the Woodford Basic School in Kingston, that was damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Funds are also to be provided to pay at least one...

More real estate developers have registered with the Real Estate Board in the first six months of this financial year when compared with the two previous financial periods. According to figures from the Board, 32 developers were registered from April to September. In 2003/04, only nine new developers were registered, while in the 2004/2005 financial year, 27 persons applied and...

The Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Sport is hosting a series of workshops aimed at enhancing the job skills of the parish councils' staff, in the government's bid to improve service delivery at that level. These workshops, which got underway in March of this year, target various personnel within the parish councils, ranging from Mayors to Secretaries, and...

Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sport, Portia Simpson Miller has said that the first batch of eight fire trucks for the Jamaica Fire Brigade should arrive in the island within eight months of the signing of the contract with Rosenbauer America LLC. A date is to be set for the signing of the US$9.2 million contract, which will...

Stakeholders have made the decision to form a May Pen Redevelopment Company aimed at planning and implementing necessary infrastructural and developmental changes to the town of May Pen and if necessary to relocate certain activities within the town. A redevelopment task force will also be established to lead the process of the formation of the company. The decision was made...

The communities of Comfort Castle and Cornwall Barracks in the Rio Grande Valley area of Portland are currently experiencing significant improvement in their water supply systems as a result of the work of the Ridge to Reef Watershed Project. A total of $900,000 was spent by that organization in 2004 to implement water supply improvement projects in both communities, which...

Dr. Vincent Lawrence, chairman of the Urban Development Corporation, will lead a nine-member board, which has been appointed by the government, to lead the restructuring of national airline, Air Jamaica, over the next six months. Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, who named the members of the board at a press conference held at his National Heroes Circle office...

The Surveys and Mapping Division of the National Land Agency (NLA), has incorporated the use of cutting edge technology, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), to make its operations as efficient as possible. Director of the Division, Trevor Shaw tells JIS News that in the past, the division conducted geodetic surveys using theodolites and distance meters, but now, "because of the advent...

Development Minister, Dr. Paul Robertson is to make a full submission to Cabinet in two weeks, addressing concerns put forward by the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) and the Bauxite Land Management Committee (BLMC) regarding the problem of squatting, illegal subdivision and the take-over and utilization of bauxitic lands by other government agencies, all of which the JBI and the BMLC...

The Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS) has received US$50,000 (J$3 million) from the Alcoa Foundation to assist with the implementation of the 'Social Ventures for Income Generation by Non-Governmental Organizations Project'. The donation was handed over yesterday (May 11) at the official launch of the project, which is aimed at assisting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to increase their ability to...