Jamaica’s export earnings for the first quarter of the 2023 calendar year, between January and March, totalled US$527.3 million. Figures released by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) on Wednesday (July 19) show that the sum was 54.7 per cent above the US$340.9 million generated for the corresponding period in 2022. The outturn was also US$201.9 million more than the...

Motorists traversing the St. Thomas leg of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) can now access a new alignment on the commute between Grants Pen and Mezgar Gardens in the parish. Speaking on Wednesday (July 29) at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a road rehabilitation project in Bath, St. Thomas, National Works Agency (NWA) Communication and Customer Services Manager, Stephen...

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Information, Hon. Robert Morgan, says no application for asylum was made by the group of Haitians who entered the island illegally recently. A total of 37 Haitian nationals arrived in the island by boat last week. “They would have been briefed [that], as part of the process,...

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has allocated an additional $104 million towards drought mitigation efforts for farmers. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the announcement during a statement to the House of Representatives on Wednesday (July 19). “To address the challenges of water scarcity and drought caused by climate change, we have initiated a comprehensive programme for the...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is monitoring the uptick in COVID-19 cases and continues to urge persons, particularly the most vulnerable, to take the necessary precautions. “Our message continues to be if you are vulnerable, if you are in doubt, if you are concerned, to see your doctor,” said portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton. “There are infection-prevention...

Children’s Advocate, Diahann Gordon Harrison, says there are benefits to be gained if Jamaica’s age of consent is increased to 18 years. This revision would bring it on par with the Child Care and Protection Act, which defines a child as any person under the age of 18, one’s eligibility to vote and obtain a driver’s license, among other things....

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, says the Governments of Jamaica and the United States continue to enjoy strong and positive diplomatic relations. She gave this assurance against the background of recent media reports of a “diplomatic row” between the countries, which she has discounted. Senator Johnson Smith said in accordance with diplomatic...