Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, on Thursday (Dec. 13) broke ground for phase one of the rehabilitation and expansion of the Gayle Multi-Purpose Community Centre in St. Mary. Cabinet, in September, approved the award of an $85.1 million contract to Marshall Construction Company Limited to undertake the works, which will focus on renovation of the ground floor...

The Tourism Linkages Network has been reaping success through its efforts at strengthening the relationship between the tourism and the agricultural sectors, resulting in an increase in the demand and consumption of local produce by the hospitality industry. A major thrust, which has been bearing fruit, is the Tourism Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) pilot project, which has assisted 400 local farmers...

Effective January 2019, the period for the payment of National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions using stamp cards, will be changed to the calendar year, January to December from the existing financial year, April to March. Speaking with JIS News recently, Director of National Insurance at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Portia Magnus, said that the change in the...

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....