Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is appealing for private property owners to come forward as the Government seeks appropriate space to accommodate persons who are in isolation, quarantine or recovering from the coronavirus (COVID-19). The Government is seeking 600 rooms across the four health regions to be used as transitional houses for such persons. Speaking...

Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) will seek to develop eco-tourism in the Goat Islands, as the Government moves to establish the area as a wildlife sanctuary. He noted that while the aim of the Goat Islands Wildlife Sanctuary is to preserve the island’s biodiversity, eco-tourism will provide an avenue for some economic...

The Government has reported that during the fiscal year 2019/20, the Forestry Department satisfactorily met the conditions to access the first tranche of €2 million under the four-year European Union-funded Budget Support Programme. With this, the organisation is now on its way to achieving associated year-two targets for all eight indicators under the programme. This was disclosed by Prime Minister,...

The Government has increased access to climate finance and finalised the development of Jamaica’s country programme for engagement with the Green Climate Fund, with a pipeline of projects totalling more than US$200 million. This investment, which was done in 2019, will help to improve access for funding climate investments in both adaptation and mitigation actions. Additionally, the Government developed tools...

The Forestry Department has received technical assistance support from the European Union (EU) totalling €850,000 (J$128 million) that will significantly boost the agency’s work in relation to the management and conservation of Jamaica’s forest resources, over the next three years. The provision, to be administered through the ‘EU Budget Support Programme for the Forest Sector’ project, will facilitate the development...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says land has been identified to relocate the Church Corner landfill in St. Thomas, while an alternative location is being sought for the Doctors Road disposal site in Portland. He was speaking at Tuesday’s (March 3) meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House, whose members were reviewing the...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is taking seriously its responsibility to build the country’s resilience against disasters. He said focus is being placed on the implementation of mechanisms and measures for disaster-risk reduction and strategic disaster financing planning. He noted that the Government continues to assess vulnerability and risks in critical sectors, including energy. “We...