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Deputy Managing Director with responsibility for Operations at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), Kirk Finnikin, explains the new arrangements for accessing concessionary fares with the use of Smarter Cards, as of September 1, at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, on August 19.

Smooth Transition to New JUTC Fares

Transition to the new fare structure of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) has been fairly smooth, says Deputy Managing Director of Operations at the JUTC, Kirk Finnikin. Since Sunday, August 24, commuters started paying the approved increases of: $120...

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, addressing the annual general meeting of the Jamaica Association of Professionals in Nutrition and Dietetics (JAPINAD), held on August 22, at the University of Technology (UTech), in St. Andrew.

Consultation Before Proposed Alcohol Policy

Education Minister, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites (right), commends Mathematics Specialist at the Spot Valley High School, Loren Sailsman, on his contribution to the improvement in performance of students at the school located in St. James. Occasion was the launch of ‘Math Counts’ on Thursday (August 21), at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in Montego Bay. Looking on is Member of Parliament for East Central St. James, Edmund Bartlett.

Education Ministry Seeking Math Specialists

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams (left) is presented with Jack fish by Property Manager for the Montego Bay Fishermen’s Co-operative Society (MBFCS) Limited, Devon Crooks. Mrs. Ffolkes Abrahams was the guest speaker at the Co-operative’s Annual General Meeting held on August 21 at the Montego Bay Fishing Complex, St. James.

Co-Operatives Play A Key Role In Community Development – Ffolkes Abrahams

Director General, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Richard Thompson (left); Senior Director, Hazard Mitigation, Weather Services, Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Philbert Brown (centre); and Country Director, HelpAge International, Rhian Holder, examine communication equipment. Occasion was a graduation ceremony for the island’s first batch of emergency telecommunication operators held on August 22 at the Scouts Association of Jamaica Headquarters on Camp Road in Kingston.

Jamaicans Trained As Emergency Telecommunication Operators

The Government estimates that drought damage is valued at $1 billion inclusive of some 16,000 hectares of farm lands. The parishes hardest hit are St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St Thomas, Portland and parts of South St Ann.

12 years ago Environment

MET Office Projects Extended Dry Spell: Government Continues to Ramp up Contingency Measures

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica is forecasting that the drought that the island has been experiencing could continue into the January to April dry season of 2015. Director of the Meteorological Service, Jeffrey Spooner says statistics for January to June 2014 this year, show that the island received 33 per cent of its normal rainfall, and that if the prolonged...

Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Noel Arscott (left), performs the symbolic ground breaking exercise to signal the formal commencement of the $11.2 million (US$100,000) Cecil Charlton Park Re-development Project in Mandeville, Manchester, on August 21. Also participating in the exercise were: Mandeville’s Mayor and Manchester Parish Council Chairperson, Councillor Brenda Ramsey (centre); First Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development, Canadian High Commission in Jamaica, Kelly Thompson (2nd right); and North West Manchester Member of Parliament, Mikael Phillips (right). Looking on is Manchester Parish Development Committee (MPDC) Chairperson, Sally-Ann Corrodus. The project is being implemented by the Manchester Parish Council, under the $2 billion (C$20 million) Government of Canada-funded Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED),

12 years ago Community

Redevelopment Work Begins on Cecil Charlton Park

Redevelopment work has commenced on the Cecil Charlton Park in Mandeville, Manchester, to construct 10 kiosks for use by micro, small and medium sized entrepreneurs in the town. The kiosks are being built at a cost of approximately $11.2 million (US$100,000). The project, being spearheaded by the Manchester Parish Council, is the first of seven pilots approved by the Ministry...

Minister of Education Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites (left) congratulates newly installed President of the Jamaica Teachers

12 years ago Education

Minister Thwaites Lauds Educators For Advancements In Sector

Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites has congratulated teachers, principals, and other players for the “tremendous efforts” being made to ensure the development and transformation of the education sector. Addressing a large group of educators from across the island during the official opening ceremony of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s 50th Anniversary Conference at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and...

Citizens Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) Communications Co-ordinator Patrice Tomlinson-Nephew engages (L-R) Shaneka Riley, graduate of Penwood High School; Tiffany McFarlane of Pembrooke Hall High School; Neisha Rose of Denham Town High School ;and Shemeka Ennis of the Young Women’s Christian Association in a team building exercise at the CSJP Summer Diversion Programme held at Dunrobin Primary School on Thursday August 21.

12 years ago Community

Students Benefit From CSJP Summer Programme

While many students were at home engaged in various leisure activities during the summer break, more than 30 students from inner-city communities participated in the Citizens Security and Justice Programme’s (CSJP) Summer Diversion Programme, in preparation for the new school year. The initiative, which is being introduced for the first time, ran from August 18 to 22, engaging students in...

Director for Environmental Management and Conservation at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Anthony McKenzie addresses a community meeting at Oswald’s restaurant, in Alligator Pond Manchester, where he urged property owners impacted by beach erosion to make contact with NEPA before erecting any personal solution.

12 years ago CommunityEnvironment

Property Owners Affected By Beach Erosion Urged To Contact NEPA

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is urging property owners impacted by beach erosion to make contact with the authority before effecting any personal solution. This is in order to avoid being served with an enforcement notice. The caution was issued by Director for Environmental Management and Conservation at NEPA, Anthony McKenzie at a community meeting at Oswald’s restaurant,...

12 years ago Transport

JUTC Fare Increases Linked To Several Services to Be Provided

Chairman of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), Rev. Dr. Garnett Roper, says the timing of the pending fare increases is linked to a number of services that the bus company will be rolling out as of next month. “For example, the benefit of a concession fare will only be accessible by the use of a Smarter Card, and we...

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips (left), is in conversation with International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission chief to Jamaica, Jan Kees Martijn, shortly before the start of a post-IMF review press conference today, at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle offices in Kingston.

12 years ago Finance & Public Service

Jamaica set for further draw-down from IMF

Jamaica seems set to receive approval for draw down of SDR 45.95 million (US$71 million) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This follows a successful fifth Staff Review of the country’s performance under the four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which was conducted from August 12 to 22. The IMF mission assessed the performance for the quarter ending June 2014 and...