Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, says the Government remains committed to providing affordable housing solutions for Jamaicans in order to eliminate squatting. He said there are some 750 informal settlements across the island, with a population of just over one million. “We have to begin the development of communities...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, says the Housing Agency of Jamaica, (HAJ)  is to be restructured. Addressing the launch of  The Vistas housing development at Runaway Bay, in St. Ann on December 19, Dr. Chang said the restructuring exercise is aimed at getting the HAJ back to being a...

Local policymakers are benefiting from the expertise of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to better understand the risks and implications of the weather-related phenomenon in order to more effectively mitigate its effects. Set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the IPCC provides governments with regular assessments of the scientific...

The University of the West Indies (UWI) should see a reduction in its water bill with the commissioning of the Mona Well at College Commons on December 15. The institution, through a private partnership, entered into an agreement with North Star Development Limited (NSDL) in 2014 to identify, drill and develop, manage and finance and maintain new sources of potable...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, has lauded Tortuga International Holdings for helping to boost the productivity of Kingston with the opening of its new US$3.5-million bakery. “This is more than a signal of private-sector confidence in our capital as a production hub, despite the many challenges which our city faces, especially...

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a three-year US$1.64 billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for Jamaica, as a signal of its continued support of the Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ) economic programme and the strengthening of the country’s macroeconomic framework. The Stand-By Arrangement will replace the existing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) which was scheduled to end in March...

A Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ)-commissioned study shows that an overwhelming majority of private sector organizations canvassed would recruit persons with hearing impairments. The School-to-Work Transition for the Deaf study notes that 94 per cent of the interviewees believe, among other things, that members of this group should be given similar opportunities, inclusive of employment, as are afforded to persons...