Forty-seven of 52 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have received clearance for the payment of salaries under the new compensation system for public-sector workers. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, made the disclosure during a press conference held at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle Office, on December 21. Dr. Clarke, however, informed that there are...

Jamaica is examining the hub and spoke model to address regional air transportation challenges. “The Caribbean is having a destination crisis, an air transportation crisis. There is no question about it, and Jamaica is going to have to play a critical role in enabling solutions [to] that problem by providing the hub-and-spoke arrangement,” Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett said....

As consumers go out to shop this Yuletide season, they are being urged to protect themselves against buyer’s remorse. This is a feeling of regret or anxiety after a purchase is made. Chief Executive Officer, Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC), Dolsie Allen, informed that the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) speaks to the change of mind after a purchase is made and...

Local farmers are being invited to join the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ ‘Global Soil Doctors Programme’ to increase agricultural output. Soil Doctors are farmers who are provided with technical knowledge and resources to train others in their community. The programme, which was launched at a World Soil Day Technical Forum at the HEART/NSTA’s Ebony Park Academy in Clarendon earlier...

Education and Youth Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams (left), receives a box of compressor nebulisers from Managing Director of appliance and manufacturing company BlackPoint, Gul Mansukhani, at a handover ceremony held at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle offices, Kingston.

As consumers continue to shop during the Yuletide season, the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is advising shoppers not to accept poorly documented cash register tapes as substitutes for receipts from vendors. Cash register tapes vary from store to store but generally contain the merchant’s details, including a GCT number, store’s refund or exchange policy and limited information about the items...

Maintaining a healthy diet during the Christmas season is a challenge for many persons, including those with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) who want to partake in the festivities without compromising their health. Speaking with JIS News, Regional Dietitian for the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Rosalee Brown, said that while some persons will choose to “feast or fast” this is not...