Social Development Commission (SDC) Executive Director, Dr. Dwayne Vernon, says the agency will be carrying out community interventions in St. Catherine during the new year. He noted that areas such as Thompson Pen and March Pen in Spanish Town will be given priority. He said that a meeting will be held with residents of March Pen in late December to...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica hosting six cruise vessels on December 6 is a sign of bigger things to come, and that the country is on track for a record winter season. In an interview with JIS News, Mr. Bartlett said that Jamaica would have equalled its record haul of seven ships for a day, had a...

Young persons are being encouraged to participate in the country’s political process, starting at the local government level. Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, made the call while voicing his disappointment that Jamaica’s youth continue to shy away from this important aspect of the nation’s development. He was addressing youth mayors during a luncheon he hosted...

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has welcomed the announcement of the nominees for Best Reggae Album in the 2017 Grammy Awards. Minister Grange said: “The Reggae Grammy, as we fondly call it, is still a huge recognition — not only of the performers and musicians, but a recognition and celebration of Reggae, which...

Jamaicans are being encouraged to continue practising energy-conservation and -efficiency methods, even as the cost of electricity continues to trend downwards. This came from Director of the Energy Economics and Planning Unit, Energy Division, Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, Yvonne Barrett-Edwards, during a workshop being held at Hotel Four Seasons in Kingston, today (December 6). The three-day energy workshop...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, says persons who have committed non-fatal offences and agree to enter guilty pleas in exchange for lighter sentences could later have their records expunged from the system. He noted that this consideration would only be for persons who, following their sentences, have refrained from criminality and have sufficiently demonstrated that they have been rehabilitated....

The National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) is advocating for the enforcement of the laws that relate to drug use to stem the tide of increased misuse of drugs, particularly among young Jamaican males. Executive Director of the NCDA, Michael Tucker, told JIS News that the enforcement of laws regarding underage drug use is something that is essential to prevent...