The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development will be providing local authorities with an additional $70 million for the cleaning of major drains island-wide. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Noel Arscott, who made the disclosure during Wednesday’s (July 9) Jamaica House press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, said the funds will be allocated in “short order.” This figure is an...

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, says he will shortly sign off on a US$42 million project to deal with the issue of non-revenue water. This refers to water produced by the National Water Commission (NWC), which cannot be accounted for, whether through theft or leakage. Minister Pickersgill said that for the first six months...

The National Water Commission (NWC) will be restoring underground wells in the Corporate Area as part of efforts to alleviate water shortages. NWC Vice-President of Operations, Mark Blair, who made the disclosure during today’s (July 3) Jamaica House press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, said that the restoration work will begin next year. He said that there...

Fourteen developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean have been invited to participate in the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Programme in Low Income Countries (SREP), and an additional country to the Clean Technology Fund (CTF). This expands the Climate Investment Fund’s (CIF) reach to 63 countries worldwide. According to a post conference release from Climate Investment Fund (CIF),...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Ian Hayles, says Jamaica has placed much emphasis on the issue of climate change. He said the country’s interest is evident in its level of certification “for our National Implementing Entity, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), very early in the day, so we could have...

The Government will be using the Climate Investment Fund’s (CIF) Partnership Forum, which begins on Monday, June 23, in Montego Bay, to highlight what has been achieved through the CIF, within the  context of the country’s climate change strategy and objectives. Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, in a pre-Forum statement, said that as a...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is reporting a 41 per cent increase in the number of enforcement actions taken against companies and individuals in breach of the various environmental and planning laws. The number moves from 633 enforcement actions in fiscal year 2012/13 to 893 for the period 2013/14, which included Cessation Orders; Enforcement Notices; Stop Notices; and...

A Beach Management Policy is to be submitted to Cabinet shortly, followed by public consultations, which will influence the final document. State Minister in the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Ian Hayles made the announcement on Tuesday, June 17 as he made his contribution to the 2014/15 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives. Outlining the...