Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is appealing to the country’s senior citizens, 75 years and older, to sign up to benefit from support under the Social Pension Programme. “They are entitled to it, even if they were not employed or were not contributing [to a pension] because we have taken the position that the vulnerable in our society,...

The White House has announced Jamaican Dr. Sandra Lindsay among 17 Americans named by President Biden to be recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The awards will be presented at the White House on Thursday (July 7). Sandra Lindsay is a Jamaican American critical care nurse in New York, who served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic...

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) explored the issue of gender equity in the cultural and creative industries, at its Business Dialogue Forum held on June 27. The discussion session, under the theme ‘Gender Standardisation in the Creative and Cultural Industries’, was held via Zoom and addressed topics such as gender policy, male vs female careers, and women in theatre...

The Jamaica Association for the Deaf Hearing Services (JADHS) Department is raising awareness about hearing healthcare and partnering with private and public-sector organisations to assess their staff at a reduced cost. Organisations are presently offered a group discount package based on the number of staff being tested. This is a special offer that ends September 2022. The World Health Organization...

The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) and Victoria Mutual Investments Limited (VMIL) have partnered to invest US$15 million in a new facility that will provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with additional funding. The Jamaica Actus Small and Medium Enterprise Fund 1 (JASMEF 1) will target equity or quasi-equity support for SMEs. International management advisory and consulting firm Actus Partners,...

Practising electricians who remain unregistered are being urged to get certified under the Government Electrical Regulator (GER) in order to have their work approved. Acting Chief Electrical Regulator, Seymour Walters, said that only certified electrical installations can be connected to the national grid. “It is our intention to get as many if not all electricians registered and listed on the...

The Ministry of Justice plans to embark on a sensitisation exercise to heighten public awareness about its Victim Services Division (VSD). The VSD, which was established in 1998, is mandated to coordinate emotional and technical support for victims of crime. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Delroy Chuck, notes that the VSD is one of the flagship agencies through which the Ministry dispenses...