Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, says the Reverse Income Tax Credit provision is intended for the mass of working citizens who contribute to the Jamaican economy through monthly or regular statutory deductions. Closing the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 26), Dr. Clarke said the primary beneficiaries will...

More Jamaicans are being encouraged to venture into entrepreneurship to foster local innovation. The call comes from Executive Director of the Scientific Research Council (SRC), Dr. Charah Watson, who told JIS News that the SRC is more determined than ever to drive a culture of innovation in Jamaica. “We know that this is paramount to our continuous progress and development,”...

Jamaica’s Conch industry is now more sustainable, following the recent attainment of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, under the Compete Caribbean Project. The certification covers the Industrial Dive Fishery located in the Pedro Bank, the first of its kind for a Conch Fishery, making Jamaica a forerunner in the world. Speaking at a ceremony on March 26 at the...

The Ministry of Education and Youth has been actively promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in a concerted effort to advance student learning and innovation throughout the country. The Ministry’s Director, Region Four, Dr. Michelle Pinnock, has highlighted the significance of this approach, noting that the Ministry currently has several schools engaged in STEM pilots to pioneer that...

The massive digitisation project being undertaken by the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) will assist with the transition to the National Identification System (NIDS). The RGD recently disclosed at a JIS Think Tank that it will be moving to digitise more than 2.4 million records as part of its modernisation process. These include birth, marriage, death, adoption and stillbirth certificates. Chief...

The 36-bed Ward 2 North at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) has been officially reopened following extensive renovation valued at more than $10 million. The project was a collaborative effort involving public and private-sector entities and aimed at addressing critical infrastructure needs in the surgical ward. It involved installation of air-conditioning units in the doctors’ and nurses’ stations, repainting, retiling...

Increased focus will be placed on the Washington Boulevard Improvement Project in fiscal year 2024/25, as the Government works to transform the major roadway that serves as the entry into Kingston. Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in making his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives recently, said that the project will stretch from...