The Government will be spending US$195 million ($2.8 billion) to undertake road construction works under the South Coast Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP), which is slated to begin by the end of September. This initial segment of the project will entail the rehabilitation of the 14-kilometre stretch of roadway from Harbour View in Kingston to Cedar Valley in St. Thomas, by...

Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wayne Henry, says policy certainty is among the measures which will be key in safeguarding the country against the possible emergence of another global economic recession. “The intensity of any global recession is usually exacerbated by policy uncertainty. As such, policymakers have a critical responsibility to ensure that there is...

Director, Road Safety Unit in the Ministry of Transport and Mining, Kenute Hare, has reiterated calls by the police for violators of the Road Traffic Act who suspect they have outstanding warrants, to go to the police. On Monday (August 26), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), Bishop Dr. Gary...

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is reporting an estimated one per cent first quarter fiscal year growth for April to June 2019. Director General, Dr. Wayne Henry, says the out-turn, buoyed primarily by a 1.4 per cent expansion of the Services Industry, extends Jamaica’s growth trend to 18 consecutive quarters or four and a half years, despite the overall...

The Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme will allow for flexible contributions through its use of individual retirement savings accounts, says Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. Speaking at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’, Mr. Bartlett explained that each tourism enterprise worker who joins the scheme will have his or her own retirement savings account with their contributions, their employers’ contributions and interest...

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Richard Thompson, says significant emphasis must be placed on earthquake preparedness, in order to protect the economic gains in the country. Speaking at the ‘St. Bess Disaster Management Expo 2019’, hosted by the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, in collaboration with ODPEM, in Black River, on August 23, Mr....

Deputy Chairman of the National Water Commission (NWC), Steven Fong-Yee, is encouraging residents seeking to acquire water, to do so through legitimate means. “Harnessing, treating and distributing water is a costly venture. I, therefore, encourage residents to apply for water through the appropriate channels and pay their bills each month,” Mr. Fong-Yee emphasized. He was speaking at the commissioning ceremony...