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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...

Mayor of Kingston and St. Andrew, Councillor Desmond McKenzie, has re-affirmed the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation's (KSAC) intention to clamp down on the operators of illegal garages in the Corporate Area, commencing in Patrick City as of Thursday, May 27. He said the KSAC would be collaborating with the National Solid Waste Management Authority, which would be providing manpower...

The St. Ann's Bay Community Development Fund (CDF) has disbursed $62.3 million in loans to 598 small business operators over the last decade. In her report at the institution's 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the St. Ann's Bay Baptist Church Hall on April 29, Secretary/Treasurer, Delrose Mott, said that during the ten-year period, 118 persons received $10.9 million for...

The Port Authority of Jamaica has given its commitment to develop, market and promote facilities in Port Antonio, in the effort to help re-position the town as a leading tourist resort and cruise ship destination. Robert Stephens, Vice President in Charge of Business Development at the Authority, said the company was willing to work with public and private sector organizations...

Kingston has great potential for a very bright future, particularly Downtown Kingston, which offers vast, untapped potential for commercial activity as well as residential accommodation. This view was expressed by, Aubyn Hill, Group Managing Director for the National Commercial Bank and Director of the Kingston City Centre Improvement Company (KCIC), at a general forum at the Hilton Kingston Hotel on...

The community of Exchange in St. Ann has a new postal agency, which was constructed at a cost of $1.1 million. The facility, a combined effort of the wider community, started in 1998, when ground was broken by the former member of parliament for the area, Danny Melville, after the closure of the previous agency, and citizens had to travel...

Minister of Development in the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr. Paul Robertson, said today that Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean was facing the challenge of positioning themselves in a fiercely competitive environment, driven by liberalized trade and investment regimes. He pointed out that although the Government had taken steps to strengthen legislation or introduce new ones, modernize...

Government is spearheading legislation aimed at revising the incentive scheme regimes, to consolidate and simplifying present systems and to encourage greater private sector involvement in economic development. Making the announcement on Tuesday (Feb. 4), Minister of Development, Dr. Paul Robertson, said that discussions were now taking place on issues dealing with corporate income tax rate and incentives to support infrastructure...