The Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management (ODPEM) is advising that following discussions with the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, The Minister of National Security and The Municipal Corporations with responsibility for the Cays, a decision has been arrived at to order the closure of all Cays except the Morant and Pedro Cays with immediate effect from...

The St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, through its Disaster Preparedness, Hazard Mitigation and Safety Committee, recently carried out an earthquake and tsunami sensitisation exercise in the town of Black River. The initiative, which formed part of national earthquake awareness activities by the Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management (ODPEM), was held in and around the parish capital as well as...

Cabinet has given approval for the contribution of $21 million towards the legal fees of five members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, during Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St. Andrew. She said that Cabinet also approved the establishment of an interim...

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Jamaica has donated technological equipment valued at approximately $1.9 million to the Department of Correctional Services’ (DCS) Juvenile Services Unit, which will enable the wards to continue to access critical services virtually. The items provided include four laptops, five tablets, six desktop computers, six Wi-Fi modems, 36 USB headsets and 35 webcams. The donation was...

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is reporting that the number of persons comprising the employed labour force, as at October 2020, totalled 1,155,800. This is 92,600 or 7.4 per cent lower than the 1,248,400 recorded for the corresponding period the previous year, according to STATIN’s October 2020 Labour Force Survey. The latest employed labour force out-turn largely contributed to...

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is reporting that the rate of inflation for December 2020 was 1.3 per cent, while the out-turn for the calendar year was 6.4 per cent. The calendar year out-turn is 1.4 percentage points higher than the figure for the period up to October. Speaking at STATIN’s quarterly digital briefing on Wednesday (January 20), Director...

A $104.2 million contract has been awarded to Cheetah Toys and More LLC for the supply and delivery of information and communications technology (ICT) equipment under the Alternative Pathway for Secondary Education Programme, following approval by Cabinet. Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, provided details during Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St....