Cabinet has approved an increase in fees for attorneys-at-law empanelled by the Legal Aid Council (LAC) equivalent to 15 to 25 per cent of the market rate for private lawyers. Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, says the increase is in keeping with Section 4 (2b) of the Legal Aid Act. The Minister was speaking during Wednesday’s...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, has announced that Newport Fersan will be introducing three new fertiliser blends to the market. The new blends aim to provide relief to farmers in the wake of rising fertiliser costs. This follows meetings with stakeholders from the Ministry as well as representatives from the company. “Concerned about the impact that the...

Jamaica has earned US$1.2 billion from 1.1 million visitor arrivals since the start of the year. This was revealed by Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, at a Jamaica Information Service ‘Think Tank’ at the agency’s head office in Kingston on Tuesday (September 21). “That performance is seeing a 22 per cent increase in our earnings, up by some US$212 million...

Charge d’Affaires of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Jamaica, Fredrik Ekfeldt, has underscored the value of transforming Jamaica’s food systems in relation to the Jamaican Path from Hills to Ocean (H2O) Project. The €6-million project, which is being financed by the EU, aims to increase the country’s resilience to climate change and reduce poverty. Mr. Ekfeldt explained that the...

The new 24-hour child abuse reporting hotline 2-1-1 was launched virtually on Wednesday (September 22) and is toll-free from any service provider. The new hotline which was organised through a collaborative effort between the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, will replace the 888-PROTECT hotline. “We appreciate the work that 888-PROTECT...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has partnered with GK Insurance to introduce the Parametric Rain, Drought and Wind Insurance Policy for the agricultural sector. The policy aims to support the resilience of farmers and fisherfolk. This was stated by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, while providing an update on the sector in the House of Representatives...

President of the Pan American Health Organization’s 59th Directing Council, Jamaica's Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has lamented the devastating impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Addressing the opening of the 73rd Session of the Regional Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) of the Americas, at PAHO’s headquarters in Washington...