The soon-to-be-legislated Deposit Refund will seek to improve recycling activities locally. This will boost the effort to improve the country’s environmental and waste management thrust. To date, the scheme, which is voluntary, provides a cash refund to consumers who return their plastic bottles after use. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with responsibility for...

Vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and children, as well as front-line healthcare workers are being encouraged to get the influenza vaccine. The influenza season normally starts in October. The flu is an acute viral infection that spreads easily from person to person, mainly by coughing, sneezing and through close contact. Speaking on the JIS Television Programme, ‘Get the Facts’,...

The Ministry of Education and Youth will be rolling out the National School Leaving Certificate (NSLC) later this academic year. This was noted by State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Marsha Smith, during the 48th International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) Conference at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, on September 25. The event is being held under the...

The planning process for the upcoming 10th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, scheduled to take place in June 2024, is under way. This was announced by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, while delivering the keynote address at the Jamaica Regional Diaspora Conference in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday (September 23). The...

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...