A total of 200 Jamaicans will be recognised at the National Honours and Awards Ceremony, scheduled for Monday, October 17, National Heroes Day, on the lawns of King's House, starting at 9:00 a.m. These civil honours may be conferred on any distinguished citizen of Jamaica or another country, who has achieved eminent local or international distinction in areas including science,...

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has commissioned the production of statues of several track and field athletes, in honour of their outstanding contribution to the development of Jamaican track and field. Four statues will be made of track and field stars Usain Bolt, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Asafa Powell over the next two years. They will...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) are conducting assessments to determine whether the country suffered any dislocation as a result of the passage of Hurricane Matthew. In a statement to the House yesterday (October 11), Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, said ODPEM’s assessment will entail a...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, says the Government continues to lead discussions in order to counter the threat of international correspondent banks cutting ties with local financial institutions. “We are leading the way… to make sure that we have financial inclusion on a credible, transparent basis as we build a formal economy,” he said. The...

The Probation Aftercare Officers’ Staff Association has signed the Heads of Agreement with the Government for the 2015/2017 contract period. Under the two-year agreement, the officers will receive a four per cent salary increase for year one and three per cent in year two. Included in the package is $2 million for the continuing professional development of probation aftercare officers....

The Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) is urging persons to report illegal gambling through Crime Stop’s toll-free line, 311. Illegal gambling, which is the acceptance of wagers without a licence, affects the economy, says Director of Licensing and Registration and Acting Director of Enforcement, Maurice Thompson, at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, yesterday (October 11). He pointed out that the...

The Government is conducting a review of the Proceeds of Crime Act, which should serve to resolve issues relating to the sale of seized property as well as to strengthen enforcement through a system of financial penalties. This is according to Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who was giving the keynote address at an Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Financing of Terrorism...