The Universal Service Fund (USF) will be conducting a review of some of the existing Community Access Point (CAP) facilities, with the aim of adding renewable energy to reduce the operating costs. “We have done research and our findings show that a number of CAPs are having a challenge in staying afloat due to the overhead expenses, so we thought...

The Government is to amend the Education Act to explicitly prohibit corporal punishment in schools. This was stated by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, while making his contribution to the 2017/18 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 21. “Already. several of our laws prohibit corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is prohibited in early-childhood institutions... and places...

The Government is to formally apologise to the victims of state-inflicted violence that occurred in the communities of Coral Gardens in April 1963 and Tivoli Gardens in May 2010. Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the announcement while making his contribution to the 2017/18 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 21. “The wrongs of the...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says instructions have been given to the National Works Agency (NWA) to implement safety measures to reduce accidents in crash hotspots. “We have given a policy nod to the use of electronic monitoring, electronic surveillance and ticketing systems, and the NWA is now testing various systems to see which is the best to...

The Government is working to ensure that the island’s forest reserves are increased and preserved through an “aggressive” reforestation programme. Specific focus will be placed on closed broadleaf forests which have been diminishing over the years. This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, during a stakeholder consultation on...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has announced that the National Housing Trust (NHT) plans to write more than 8,000 new loans at a value of $17.8 billion for the 2017/18 financial year, as it unveils increased benefits for low-income earners. He announced that effective July 1, the NHT will implement policies to ensure that individuals contributing for seven...

National Security Minister, Hon. Robert Montague, has urged the nation to be more appreciative of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) role in safeguarding the country’s security. He made the call while speaking at the presentation ceremony for a Mitsubishi bus, valued at approximately $7.6 million, which the Ministry donated to the Jamaica Police Federation, at the NCB North Tower car...