Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, has thanked civil servants for accepting the Government’s restructured public-sector compensation package. Dr. Clarke, who closed the 2023/24 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 21), advised that 95 per cent of public officers have indicated acceptance of the offer, which sees them getting a...

Jamaica will commemorate World Water Day on Wednesday (March 22), an annual observation initiated by the United Nations (UN). This year’s theme is ‘Accelerating Change – Water, Changing Behaviour and Lives’. It coincides with the UN’s sustainable development goal number six, which is to ensure access to water and sanitation for all. The objective is to achieve this by 2030....

The National Works Agency (NWA) is currently rehabilitating three main roads in Trelawny at a cost of nearly $180 million. Community Relations Officer at the NWA’s Western Office, Janel Ricketts, told JIS News that the works, which started in 2022, are at varying stages of completion and are expected to be concluded by May. The projects entail the Martha Brae...

In celebration of the International Day of Forests today (March 21), the Meteorological Service of Jamaica has joined the National Forestry Department in its thrust to plant more trees. Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, told JIS News that to ensure enough trees are planted to replace those that have been cut down, members of his team journeyed...

Jamaicans are being encouraged to put electronic devices on a hard surface when charging, away from combustible materials, to prevent unintended fires. The advice was given by Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Stewart Beckford, in a recent interview with JIS News. “If you have to charge your cellphone, your tablets or any one of these devices, put it...

Approximately 29 per cent of the 2.6 million stopover tourists visiting Jamaica in 2022 had the privilege of immersing in the country’s sharing economy experience, most notably the Airbnb accommodation subsector, according to Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. The sharing economy is a socio-economic system whereby consumers partake of the creation, production, distribution, trade and consumption of goods and services....

Kingston’s resilience to climate change is expected to be significantly bolstered with the planned implementation of an urban infrastructure insurance scheme pilot project. The engagement will be undertaken by the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) in partnership with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). The project will see ICLEI engaging with insurance providers on options available...