Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, has hailed the nation’s music stalwarts for carving out a space for Jamaica’s indigenous art form on the international stage. Citing several vintage and contemporary artistes, she said that “these icons are ordinary Jamaicans, who have given the world over six genres that comprise Jamaica’s music.” These include mento, ska,...

Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, says he is confident that the country is better prepared for this year’s sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) and is expecting better results. The examination, which is in its second year, got under way on Tuesday (February 25) with the Ability Test. Just over 39,000 students are...

An additional 30 Cuban medical professionals will arrive in Jamaica on Thursday (February 27) to further bolster the Government’s delivery of quality healthcare services. This was disclosed by Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, at a signing ceremony for the renewal of the Technical Cooperation Agreement with the Ministry of Public Health of the Republic of...

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is reporting estimated fourth quarter calendar year growth of 0.1 per cent, between October and December 2019, relative to the corresponding period in 2018. This, consequent on estimated growth of 1.8 per cent in the services industry, despite a 3.8 per cent contraction in the goods producing industry, Director General, Dr. Wayne Henry, has...

The Marella Discovery 2 cruise ship made its second call to Port Royal on Monday (February 24), carrying some 1,800 visitors to Kingston. The cruise ship created history on January 20, when it was the first to dock at the newly opened cruise port constructed by the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ). The passengers, on disembarking, were welcomed with cultural...

The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) is anticipating major growth in the local medicinal cannabis industry in the new fiscal year. “We expect the growth… to be exponential because we anticipate that the import-export regulations will be promulgated within the next financial year, and that should be a major push, as it will further open the international market's access to Jamaica,”...

Government has launched a new Risk Management Standard called the JS ISO 31000: 2019 Risk Management Guidelines, to manage risks in public-sector organisations. The launch, which took place at the offices of the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), on Tuesday (February 25), is in keeping with the Risk Management Policy 2018. Applicable to all organisations, regardless of type, size, activities...