The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service and the Jamaica Police Federation (JPF), on Friday (December 14), signed a Heads of Agreement for a four-year 16 per cent wage increase for rank and file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). The agreement, which includes a combination of provisions relating to service and conditions of work, covers the period...

A mobile testing unit, valued at over $12 million, which has been handed over to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), will enable health personnel to go into communities to conduct human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) tests. The unit was donated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the United States Presidents’ Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief...

Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the road map for the development of the National Health Insurance Scheme for Jamaica is now available. The road map is expected to guide the implementation of the scheme, taking into account elements such as benefits package, levels and sources of financing, legislative changes, provider network and the requisite administrative and organisational...

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has implemented measures to address the expected increase in garbage in St. James during the Christmas period into the New Year. Public Cleansing Inspector at Western Parks and Markets (WPM) Waste Management Limited, a subsidiary of the NSWMA, Patrick Gilchrist, said that priority will be given to the business district of Montego Bay....

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., says Japan continues to demonstrate its friendship with Jamaica through the provision of tangible support in various areas of development. He cited the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, which enables Jamaican participants to utilize their teaching skills to the benefit of students in Japan....

The Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund has invested some $4.2 billion in healthcare in Jamaica, including the building of 19 health centres and providing support for others throughout the country. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CHASE Fund, W. Billy Heaven, says the latest health centre has been built in Robins Hall, Manchester, at a cost of...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says Shopping Tourism has been getting much traction worldwide, and Jamaica is in a unique position to capitalize. Addressing stakeholders at The Shoppes at Rose Hall in St. James on December 13, Mr. Bartlett said that shopping is also a major value-added market where nearly 60 per cent of visitors travel all over the...