Parliament has adjusted its Standing Orders to allow for greater participation of backbenchers during parliamentary sittings. Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament (MP) for St. Andrew East Rural, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness, noted that 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays was set aside for private members’ motions to be heard, but Parliament is...

The Digital Registration Portal, which will collect data to facilitate evidence-based decision-making for diaspora engagement, is slated for public testing later this year. Being developed in partnership with the Inter-American Development (IDB), the portal is one of the deliverables from the National Diaspora Policy. The Policy reflects the commitment of the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) to pursue diaspora-related strategies and...

Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett, has called on industry stakeholders to play a critical role in promoting a more sustainable tourism sector. “Whether we are travellers, industry workers or policymakers, we have the power to make a difference. It is my hope that we will all be inspired to invest in people, to care for the planet and to promote...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, says youth inclusion is critical to the sustainability of the Jamaican diaspora movement.   “Central to my vision for the [diaspora] councils as chair, is to have a concerted focus on youth and in particular, their inclusion and empowerment. It is my strong belief that the...

As the Ministry of Health and Wellness heightens measures to contain the outbreak of dengue on the island, there is a call for householders to accommodate vector control workers.  Public Health Officer at the St. Catherine Health Department, Judith Brown, said that the work of the vector control teams is crucial in ridding communities of breeding sites for the Aedes...

The Ministry of Education and Youth is hailing the Moravian Church for its contribution to the development of primary education in Jamaica.  Moravian missionaries established the first elementary school for the education of the children of slaves in Jamaica in St. Elizabeth 200 years ago.   Acting Director of Regional Education Services in the Ministry’s Region 5, Nevadeene Gallimore Miller, said...

Tourism Action Clubs (TACs) in schools across the island’s six resort areas will be engaged in the planting of trees during Tourism Awareness Week (TAW), which is being observed from September 24-30.  The exercises, to be carried out in Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, the South Coast [St. Elizabeth, Manchester and Clarendon], Kingston and Port Antonio, are being spearheaded by...