The new Marlie Hill Basic School, which serves the community of Bellfield and surrounding areas in deep rural St. Catherine, is one of the proud legacy projects of Jamaica 50. Threatened by land slippage at its previous location and with little room for expansion, the institution was relocated to the grounds of the Marlie Hill Primary, the school that produced...

Industry, Investment, and Commerce, Hon Anthony Hylton, says Jamaica’s workforce must be prepared for the projected expansion in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT)/Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and other related sectors, as Jamaica grows as a service economy. Speaking at the official opening of BPO firm, the Elephant Group’s expanded facilities in the Montego Bay Free Zone on May 2,...

Forty-six small farmers in Nain, St. Elizabeth, are now benefitting from a $9.3 million drip irrigation system, which will assist in enhancing their cultivation of vegetables and other crops. The project was a joint undertaking involving the Government of Jamaica, World Bank, Alpart Community Council, and Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), through its Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI). The system...

Hundreds of residents in Waterford and adjoining communities in Portmore, St. Catherine, are benefitting from the recent opening of a resource and outreach centre constructed and equipped at a cost of $4.4 million. The facility, which is located on the grounds of the Waterford fire station, was built with funding from the Universal Service Fund (USF), in collaboration with the Ministry...

Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, is cautioning Jamaicans against misuse of the island’s water resources, and to begin adopting alternative harvesting and storing strategies. He made the call at the final public consultation on the draft Water Sector Policy and Implementation Plan, held on April 30 at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston. Mr....

Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, says the tight 2014/15 budget is necessary “if Jamaica is to continue to trod its way along the long road to debt sustainability.” “This is also absolutely essential if we are to build an economy and a society that can provide the hopes and aspirations that our people desire and deserve,” Senator...

Fitch Ratings (London): Jamaica's achievement in hitting fiscal targets is considerable given the background of persistent economic weakness and revenue underperformance, Fitch Ratings says. Political consensus remains in favour of structural adjustments through the country's IMF programme, but sustained fiscal consolidation will be challenging if there is growth underperformance or reform fatigue. The achievement of quantitative targets in the first...