A total of 230 first-year students at the University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica have been awarded Government of Jamaica (GOJ) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) scholarships. The recipients were chosen from a pool of 1,100 applicants. They are the first cohort of 1,000 students who will benefit from full-tuition need-based scholarships valued at $2.4 billion over the next five...

There has been significant take-up of the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) e-passport since its introduction in April. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for PICA, Andrew Wynter, told JIS News that the agency is pleased with the public’s response. “Since we have introduced the e-passport, I think we have probably issued maybe close to 100,000 passports; people have taken… to...

Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Delroy Williams, says the use of smart technology can assist the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) in improving its service delivery. He was speaking at a special sitting of the Corporation today (September 21) in downtown Kingston, to facilitate the visit of Mayor Gary R. McCarthy of Schenectady, New York. A smart city...

The Joint Select Committee reviewing the Cybercrimes Act is recommending harsher penalties for offences against a child. “The Committee supports the recommendation that there should be harsher penalties in relation to offences against children and that there should be a distinction between the penalties for offences committed against children by children and adult offenders,” said Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications...

The Manchester-based Huntley Primary and Infant School, and Huntley Library, have together received five desktop computers from the Universal Service Fund (USF). The handover of the machines during a recent ceremony underscores the USF’s commitment to enhancing educational and community development islandwide. “Our goal is to ensure that every Jamaican, regardless of their location, has access to modern communications and...

The National Export-Import Bank of Jamaica (EXIM Bank) approved and disbursed loans valued at $1.93 billion to operators of small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs), as of July 2023. This was disclosed by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, during a recent interview with JIS News. The Minister informed that there were 303 beneficiaries. “This is how tourism is inclusive...

Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, His Excellency Yasuhiro Atsumi, presents a citation to former Ambassador of Jamaica to Japan, Her Excellency Claudia Cecile Barnes. Occasion was a ceremony for the conferment of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, on Ambassador Barnes, at the official residence of the Ambassador of Japan in St. Andrew on September 20....