The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has released the following statement at the passing of racehorse trainer, Wayne DaCosta. Minister’s Statement "I join with the family, the racehorse industry, and wider national sports family in mourning the passing of trainer, Wayne DaCosta. We had been praying for his full recovery and I had heard...

The Applications Secretariat Branch of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) says its officers are ready to assist beach licence and environmental permit holders through the renewal process. Holders of these licences and permits are required to renew them before March 31. Manager of NEPA’s Applications Secretariat Branch, Miguel Nelson, said that the status of the operations and level...

The House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 23) passed legislation that will introduce a specific enforceable system of sanctions against persons who breach the public health protocols. This includes fixed penalties ranging from $3,000 to $500,000. The Bill, entitled, The Disaster Risk Management (Amendment) Act, was passed with two amendments. Since March 10, 2020, the Government has employed the Disaster...

Further to the announcement of extended curfew hours under the Disaster Risk Management Enforcement Measures, the Registrar General's Department wishes to advise its valued customers that all RGD offices will be closed at 10:30am to the public on March 26th, April 1 and April 9, 2021 respectively. We apologise for any inconvenience that his may cause. Please be reminded that...

The Government is providing $2 million for each of the 63 constituencies to support citizens requiring assistance during the expanded triple weekend curfews, which begin on Saturday, March 27. The provision will be allocated to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) on April 1 for further disbursement. This was announced by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon....

The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) has announced that Republic of Ireland-based technology provider, eCurrency Mint Incorporated, has been selected to support the BOJ in testing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) solution locally. CBDC is a digital form of central bank-issued currency and is, therefore, legal tender. In a statement on Tuesday (March 23), the BOJ said eCurrency Mint, which...

The Ministry of Justice is considering the inclusion of victims as part of the child diversion process to facilitate the mending of broken relationships within schools and communities. Child diversion is an alternative dispute resolution tool used primarily to put the child offender on a path away from the criminal justice system and its attendant negative features. It involves measures...