The Ministry of Tourism is looking to tap into the local labour force to identify, recruit and deploy at least 10,000 of 90,000 workers required in the global cruise industry. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says the demand stems from a shortage of workers occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption of tourism activities worldwide, which resulted in a reduction in...

Medical Officer of Health for St. James, Dr. Francine Phillips-Kelly, has advised that individuals must continue to take personal responsibility to restrict the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), as the number of positive cases continue to rise in the parish. Speaking at the monthly meeting of the St. James Municipal Corporation on Thursday (June 9), Dr. Phillips-Kelly recommended that individuals...

The Government after two years, will be removing the absolute ban on new admissions to infirmaries across the island effective Friday, July 1. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, made the disclosure while addressing the homeless wellness day of care at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay, St. James, on Friday, June 10. “Every infirmary now has...

The Ministry of Tourism has developed a comprehensive suite of tools designed to bolster the sector’s resilience and safeguard it against disruptions, such as weather-related events, among other crises. These provisions are a Disaster Risk Management Plan Template and Guidelines; a Business Continuity Plan Template and Guidebook; and a National Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy. They are intended to provide...

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Daryl Vaz (left), engages in conversation with United Sates Ambassador to Jamaica, Nick Perry. Occasion was a courtesy call by the Ambassador at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices on Friday, June 10.

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is to receive new garbage trucks before the end of the year, which will improve waste collection in communities across the island. Executive Director of the agency, Audley Gordon, said that the procurement process “has just been completed” and “we are now in the phase of ordering the trucks”. He noted that the...

The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) is urging owners of small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) to register their businesses. Public Relations Officer, COJ, Kawain Fearon, said that the process has been made easier through online registration, using the Electronic Business Registration form (eBRF). He was speaking at a business development information session for SMTEs, hosted by the Tourism Enhancement...