State Minister in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Damion Crawford, is expressing satisfaction with the progress of the entertainment industry. Citing the dancehall sector in particular, Mr. Crawford says that while there are some negatives, which must be addressed, these are far outweighed by the positives. He says the dancehall culture, apart from displaying another side of the...

Acting Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Derrick Kellier, is assuring the nation that there is adequate supply of food to meet demand, despite the drought conditions affecting the island. Speaking at a press briefing at the Ministry’s Hope Gardens offices in St. Andrew on July 29, Mr. Kellier said that the country has sufficient tubers, bananas, and plantains. In...

Contractors are putting the finishing touches on the Mount Rosser bypass to facilitate its official opening on August 5. “The contractors are…doing clean-up work, installing signs, and doing the final road markings,” Managing Director of the National Road Operating and Construction Company (NROCC), Ivan Anderson, told JIS News. Motorists will travel toll free for one month, from August 5 to...

The National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ) will be hosting a Stakeholder Awareness Forum for the ISO 14001:2015 Draft International Standard (DIS) on Thursday, July 31. The NCBJ has been hosting stakeholder awareness fora, as most of the standards are due for review. Feedback from all stakeholders, locally and internationally, is required by the International Organization for Standards (ISO) in...

A sum of $30 million has been allocated to the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) to increase food production in parishes with sufficient access to water, to counter any possible shortfall in production from areas more adversely affected by drought conditions. This was disclosed by Acting Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Derrick Kellier, who said the move is among...

“Crime Stop is safe,” is the assurance given by Chairman of the National Crime Prevention Fund, Peter John Thwaites, who is urging persons to support the programme, and report crime, by calling 311. “People can feel comfortable to report crime, as there has not been any compromise to the Crime Stop network, since its establishment 25 years ago,” he pointed...

Improvement work is to be undertaken at the Central Village Health Centre, in St. Catherine. This follows a visit to the facility on July 28 by Minister of State with Responsibility for Primary Health Care Infrastructure, Hon. Luther Buchanan, with a view to determining what improvements can be carried out. Among the needs highlighted by staff include a security fence...