Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has reported an increase in the number of manufacturers entering the cosmetics space, many of whom began exporting in 2019. This is contained in the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 2019, which was tabled in the House of Representatives recently. The document notes that many of these products utilised natural ingredients and were targeted at health-conscious...

The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) has embarked on a 12-month mentorship programme catering to high growth potential research/technology-based business start-ups with innovative products and services. A DBJ project brief indicates that the recently launched ‘Mentorship for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme’ (MIEP) is among the deliverables of a technical cooperation agreement signed with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Lab to...

The Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) is spending an additional $528 million on potable water infrastructure projects this financial year to benefit 45,000 citizens. This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, as he provided an update on the Government’s water initiatives and drought management response during a virtual...

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation has revamped its Drought Management Committee to better equip the body to play a more proactive role in mitigating the impacts of drought on the country. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry, Hon. Daryl Vaz, made the disclosure during a virtual briefing on Wednesday (July 8), to provide an update on the...

The Government has received grants totaling approximately $120.3 million (US$855,546) from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to finance two projects aimed at facilitating a gender-responsive approach to climate change and mitigation, and a Caribbean Green Bond listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE). A sum of about $38.4 million (US$272,797) is earmarked to fund the gender-responsive project, while approximately $82...

Jamaica’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) has received approval from the Cabinet and has been uploaded to the NDC Registry of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Under the terms of the Paris Agreement, which Jamaica ratified in 2017, countries are expected to periodically prepare Nationally Determined Contributions, (NDCs), which symbolize the actions countries are taking to...

The Forestry Department will be embarking on the reforestation of 150 hectares of land and the maintenance of parcels comprising 588 hectares, during the 2020/21 financial year. This was announced by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, during his contribution to the 2020/21 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on...