The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has advised that its Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) is among key assets to be deployed should the country experience a major disaster, such as an earthquake. The DART is comprised of doctors, nurses, infanteers, drivers, combat engineers, logisticians, military police, divers and other military personnel. Speaking at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think...

Help is available from various State and private-sector entities for persons in distressful situations, says Principal Director in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Sharon Coburn Robinson. In an interview with JIS News, she said that through the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA), the Government operates a support system that was established in 2008 from a telethon and...

The Global Digital Services Sector (GDSS) accounts for approximately 70 per cent of businesses operating in the special economic zones (SEZs), making it the largest stakeholder group. This information was shared by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JSEZA), Kelli-Dawn Hamilton, while addressing a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’. Mrs. Hamilton said that...

Jamaica’s capacity to capture and preserve historical records and information has been boosted through the donation of scanning equipment by Mexico to the Jamaica Archives and Records Department (JARD) in the Office of the Prime Minister. Speaking at the recent handover of the Model 5 Bookeye Scanner at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in downtown Kingston, portfolio...

Hot pepper farmers are to receive training and technical assistance in sustainable production and post-harvest practices to consistently meet demands in both quality and quantity. This training and technical assistance will address the lack of resources and information needed to adopt best practices to enhance the quality and safety of products – a challenge currently faced by many farmers. It...

More individuals who qualify for the National Housing Trust (NHT) Special Grant for Persons with Disabilities are being encouraged to apply for this provision. Under the programme, NHT mortgagors with disabilities or who reside with and care for a family member having such, are eligible for a grant of $300,000. The initiative, which was launched in 2017, aims to greater...

Innovative measures used to preserve Jamaica’s tourism industry during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic have aided in the sector’s rebound. This was disclosed by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who was addressing a stakeholders meeting at the Falmouth Mystic Flavor Restaurant in Trelawny, on Friday (April 21). The meeting followed the Minister’s Destination Assurance Tour of Falmouth and Old...