Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Mining, Dr. Alwin Hales says that grants totalling $9 million (€51,000) that were recently awarded to 12 mining and quarry operators, will be beneficial, as the country deals with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding was provided for under phase two of the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Minerals...

The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) says it is aiming to issue its 100th licence before the end of the 2020/2021 fiscal year. Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on August 27, Director of Research Development and Communications at the CLA, Felicia Bailey said the Authority is focused on achieving this goal, through a reduction in the application processing time. “The...

Jamaica recorded one more death related to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, even as the number of confirmed positive cases increased by 102. The total number of deaths related to COVID-19 is now 20 while the total number of positives is 2,113. The Ministry of Health and Wellness extends condolences to the family of the deceased. The deceased is...

Despite the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) having taken a toll on tourism dependent businesses, craft traders in the island’s resort towns remain optimistic that better days are ahead. The traders, who operate in craft shops in Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Falmouth, Port Antonio and Kingston, say they are hoping that the latter part of 2020, going into 2021 will be...

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, the Hon. Karl Samuda says primary schools across the island will be given a total of $50m to procure tablets for needy students. The tablets will be provided to students who are in need but are not beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH). Students at the secondary level, who...

The Transport Authority has extended its amnesty for renewal of licences for public passenger vehicles to September 30, to ease the plight of persons who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Customer Service Coordinator at the Authority, Charlene Hamilton, told JIS News that, initially, the reprieve from paying late fees was for the period July 2020 to the end...

The HEAR/NSTA Trust will be reopening in October on a phased basis, using the mixed teaching model incorporating virtual sessions and face-to-face teaching. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Education pushed back the opening of schools to Monday, October 5, due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. The country’s national training agency originally suspended face-to-face training earlier this year,...