The distribution of black tanks to promote water harvesting in rural communities will commence next week, as the pilot of the Rural Water Household Resilience programme gets underway. Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the disclosure in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (Oct. 31). The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has provided grant funding of $60 million for...

An interministerial body, headed by the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, is advanced in putting measures in place to address the issue of prank calls to emergency service providers. Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, in making the disclosure in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (Oct. 31), said the work of the interministerial...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, is commending the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) for its response to Monday’s (Oct.30) 5.6-magnitude earthquake. Speaking on Tuesday (Oct.31) in the House of Representatives, the Minister said that Jamaica’s rapid response mechanism, which was developed to deal with disasters, was in operation within 30 minutes of...

Minister Without Portfolio with Responsibility for Skills and Digital Transformation, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon (centre), congratulates members of Jamaica’s team copping Gold in the Robotics Olympics, which took place in Singapore from October 7 to 10. Minister Morris Dixon met with the members during their courtesy call at Jamaica House on Tuesday (October 31).

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert Flynn (left), tours the Horizon Remand Centre on Spanish Town Road in Kingston along with Superintendent A, Denis Waysome (right), on Monday (October 30).

The National Works Agency (NWA) will continue to undertake checks of critical infrastructure, following the 5.6 magnitude earthquake which shook Jamaica on Monday (October 30). Manager, Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, said the technical team has been tasked to check on structures such as bridges. “A good example would be the flyovers at Three Miles… those...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, is calling for wider discussions regarding traffic management, especially during a natural disaster. He argued that the matter was not the sole responsibility of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). “I think that there is a wider discussion that needs to be had, and we must not forget that there is...