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The Government will be undertaking major work to improve social infrastructure and amenities in West Kingston. This was announced by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, who toured sections of Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town on Friday (May 13). Dr. Chang said the intervention, which is to get underway this...

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, says several international investors have indicated interest in buying into Jamaica’s renewable energy sector. He said this was evident based on discussions at the United States Caribbean Central American Energy Summit meeting in Washington, D.C., which he attended, along with Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, last week....

Parish Councils islandwide are currently finalising preparations and their readiness for the start of the 2016 tropical hurricane season on June 1. The activities are being undertaken throughout May as part of ‘Hurricane Preparedness Month’. Co-Chairman of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Jamaica (ALGA), Councillor Scean Barnswell, tells JIS News that Councils have concluded meetings with members of...

Scores of children, teachers and the general public gathered at the Castleton Botanical Gardens, in St. Mary, on May 4, to commemorate Earth Day, which was observed on April 22. The event, dubbed the ‘10th Annual Earth Day Expo’, was organized by the Public Gardens Division of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, under the theme: ‘Trees for...

Contingency funding of $550 million has been allocated for weather related risks in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure. To be used specifically for natural disasters and infrastructure rehabilitation, this allocation is in keeping with the Fiscal Responsibility Framework Regulations, contained in the Financial Administration and Audit Act (FAA Act). In the meantime, another contingency provision of $100 million has been...

Fishing communities across the island are to receive additional support in building resilience against climate change. This is through an allotment of $12.9 million to the Promoting Community-based Climate Resilience in the Fisheries Sector project in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries. As contained in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives, the allocation...

The capacity of the island’s vulnerable communities to improve their resilience to climate change and other risk factors has been further boosted with an allocation of $19.6 million. As outlined in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, the money has been provided  under the ‘Enhancing the Resilience of the Agricultural Sector and Coastal Areas’  project. The project aims to protect the...

The Government has allocated $66.16 million to the Strengthening the Operational and Financial Sustainability of the National Area Protected System project, in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure. The Project is expected to consolidate the operational and financial sustainability of Jamaica’s National System of Protected Areas (PAs). This objective will be achieved through three components: strengthening of financial planning and revenue...

A sum of $7.2 million has been allocated in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure towards the National Quick Start Programme Trust Fund project (formerly the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labelling of Chemicals). The project seeks to build the endogenous capacity of the country to manage chemicals and hazardous wastes in an environmentally sound manner. So far the...

A sum of $150 million has been allocated to the ‘Enhancing the Resilience of the Agricultural Sector and Coastal Areas’ project, in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The project seeks to increase sectoral resilience and adaptive capacity to cope with the impacts of climate change by strengthening coastal protection and building institutional and local...

A sum of $40 million has been allocated to the Jamaica Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project, to enhance the country’s resilience to disaster and climate risk. As outlined in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives on April 14, the project, being implemented by the Office of the Prime Minister, is slated to run from April 2016...

A sum of $65.5 million has been allocated to a project to improve the management of the Yallahs and Hope River watershed areas. This is contained in the 2016/17 Estimates of Expenditure now before the House of Representatives. The project, entitled: ‘Integrated Management of the Yallahs/Hope River Watershed Management Area,’ seeks to reduce the pressure on the natural resources in...