In the upcoming fiscal year, the Government will introduce two new incentive programmes to encourage greater take-up of the Central Bank Digital Currency, JAM-DEX. They are the Small/Micro Merchant Incentive Programme and the Wallet-holder Individual Loyalty Programme. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, provided details while opening the 2023/24 Budget Debate in the House...

The number of bush fires recorded in Jamaica has more than tripled for the month of February, when compared to the corresponding period last year. Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Stewart Beckford, told JIS News that firefighters responded to 1,303 reports of bush fires last month, which represents a 224 per cent increase over the 402 recorded last...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is reporting a 43 per cent reduction in the number of fire-related deaths. JFB Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, told JIS News that 24 persons perished in fires in 2022, compared to 42 the previous year. “Regrettably… there were 17 adults and seven children who perished in fires. While one death is too many, we consider it...

Jamaicans, particularly those suffering from hypertension and diabetes, are being urged to screen annually for kidney disease, in order to reduce the risk of end stage renal failure. Consultant Internist and Nephrologist at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James, Dr. Curtis Yeates, made the call ahead of Thursday’s (March 9) commemoration of World Kidney Day. The Day, being observed...

The Government is providing a $200 million down payment to endow a Fiscal Research Institute within the Department of Economics at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, made the announcement while opening the 2023/24 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives, on Tuesday (March 7). “This will...

A Fire Suppression System, which automatically extinguishes a fire within the engine of a bus, has been introduced at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC). The system, which does not allow fires to be reignited after being smothered, is aimed at protecting passengers, the drivers, and the mechanical interior of the buses. It was installed and demonstrated by the contractors...

The Government continues to take a deliberate approach to dealing with the matter of gender and gender equity, says Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness. “Gender is now a part of the matrix of consideration for whatever policies we put in. I would even say, in contemplation of the budget, gender is a specific parameter that we consider,” he...