In the upcoming financial year, the Government will be advancing the passage of two companion Bills, which will enable the creation of a framework to bring the operations of credit unions fully under the supervisory and regulatory regime of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ). These are the Credit Unions (Special Provisions) Bill and the Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill. The move...

Finance and the Public Service Minister, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, on Tuesday (March 9) announced that the Government will not be introducing any new taxes to fund the $830.8-billion Budget for 2021/22. “We are prioritising economic recovery, which we want to achieve in the quickest possible time. Increasing taxes at this time would run counter to that objective,” Dr....

Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says public hospitals have been instructed not to turn away persons seeking medical attention, despite space constraints at a number of institutions, largely due to the heightened number of coronavirus (COVID-19)-related admissions. Speaking during Monday’s (March 8) COVID-19 digital press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Media Centre,...

Public Health Nurse, Marcia Thomas-Yetman, is the first person in Jamaica to receive the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. She was vaccinated at The Good Samaritan’s Inn in Kingston on Wednesday morning (March 10), exactly one year after the first case of the virus was confirmed in the island. Nurse Thomas-Yetman, who is employed to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA),...

The transition of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) to an independent institution is slated to take effect on April 16, 2021. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, says he will be taking steps to bring the Bank of Jamaica Amendment Act into effect then, adding that as of that date, the BOJ, particularly the...

As the Government continues to strengthen the nation’s coronavirus (COVID-19) testing capabilities, Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC), Sharonmae Shirley, is assuring that only test kits approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Wellness are being used in accredited medical testing facilities. “Currently in Jamaica, the MOHW has only...

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) will open select Tax Offices this Saturday March 13 and every Saturday up to April 24, 2020, as it continues in its efforts to bring greater convenience to taxpayers as the fiscal year end draws closer, in addition to facilitating persons paying Property Taxes due in April. The Saturday operations are expected to provide persons with yet another option do...