The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) will be providing targeted support to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), during the new fiscal year, which begins April 1. Emphasis will be placed on the priority sectors of manufacturing and agriculture/agribusiness as well as the emerging industries of medical cannabis, hemp and bamboo. As stated in the 2020/21 Jamaica Public Bodies Estimates...

The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) wishes to advise all investors and the general public that the Company will be following the advisory of the Office of the Prime Minister for companies’ employees to work remotely where possible. In view of this development, please be advise that the JSE’s operating hours will remain unchanged. Normal services will continue to be provided...

Today, Bank of Jamaica briefed members of the Jamaica Bankers Association and the Jamaica Securities Dealers Association, on measures that the central bank would implement in order to assure financial institutions of adequate access to both foreign currency and Jamaica Dollar liquidity, throughout this challenging period. With the sharp contraction in the tourism industry and the likely disruption to remittance...

Arising from queries from the media and members of the public, the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) is advising that it remains fully operational at the country’s air and sea ports, and assures its customers that there are no restrictions or ban on the importation of goods from countries impacted by the COVID-19 virus. Mrs. Velma Ricketts Walker, CEO/Commissioner of Customs,...

The Government and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have signed an US$50 million loan agreement to implement the Boosting Innovation, Growth, and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems (BIGEE) Programme over the next 10 years. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, and General Manager for the IDB’s Caribbean Group Country Department, Therese Turner Jones, signed the agreement during a...

Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Governor, Richard Byles, says contingency measures have been put in place to maintain the normal functioning of the financial system and markets while safeguarding employees and customers, in light of the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19). In a statement on Friday (March 13), Mr. Byles said the BOJ has collaborated with the commercial banks to ensure...

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) has extended the deadline for the filing of income tax returns to Wednesday, March 25, 2020. The initial date for the filing was set for March 15. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, made this announcement at a press conference on Thursday (March 12), at Jamaica House. “The tax authority...