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Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Rudyard Spencer (right) and President of the Association of Government Medical Consultants (AGMC), Dr. Konrad Lawson (right), sign the Heads of Agreement for the contract period 2015/2017, at the Ministry in Kingston, on September 2. Overseeing the signing is Senior Industrial Relations Officer in the Ministry, Charmaine Hayman.

Public-Sector Medical Consultants Sign Wage Agreement

Public-sector medical consultants have signed a Heads of Agreement with the Government for the 2015/2017 contract period. Under the two-year wage agreement, they will receive a four per cent salary increase for year one and three per cent in year...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, exchanges greetings with Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Country Representative, Therese Turner-Jones, during the press launch of the FOROMIC conference at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew on August 30. The conference will be held from October 24 to 26 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.

Gov’t and IDB to Host Regional Entrepreneurship and Microfinance Conference

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw (third right); Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley (second right); Chief Executive Officer, eGov Jamaica Limited, Herman Athias (right); Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Everton McFarlane (second left), sign a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry and eGov Jamaica Limited at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle offices on Aug. 25. Looking on are Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams (third left); Director, Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project, Dunstan Bryan (standing, left); and Director, Communication and Public Relations, Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Elaine Oxamendi Vicet.

US$1.4 Million Allocated to eGov Jamaica

Minister of State with responsibility for the Public Service, Hon. Rudyard Spencer (left), signs the Heads of Agreement for the contract period 2015/2017 allowing for certain fringe benefits to public-sector workers of central ministries, departments and agencies of Government, at the Finance and the Public Service Ministry in Kingston, on August 24. At right is Jamaica Civil Service Association of Jamaica (JCSA) President, O’Neil Grant.

Gov’t and JCSA Sign Agreement for Certain Benefits

Minister of State with responsibility for the Public Service, Hon. Rudyard Spencer (second left), signs the Heads of Agreement for Public Sector Nurse Practitioners for the contract period 2015/2017, at the Finance and the Public Service Ministry in Kingston, on August 24. Participating in the signing (from left) are National Workers Union (NWU) Vice President, Arthur Grant; Heather Henry-McGrath and Ellotha Beckford Muschamp.

Public-Sector Nurse Practitioners Sign Wage Agreement

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Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (centre); Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Derrick Smith (right) and Managing Director of the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), Mr. Milverton Reynolds, enjoy the performance of Asley Grey, at a ceremony at Jamaica House on August 23, where some 220 land titles were handed over to recipients from across the island.

10 years ago Finance & Public Service

Low-Cost Loans Available at the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ)

Managing Director of the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), Milverton Reynolds, is reminding persons interested in setting up micro, small and medium-sized businesses that the agency offers low-cost loans as well as technical assistance. Addressing recipients of land titles at a handover ceremony on August 23 at Jamaica House, Mr. Reynolds urged them to start businesses using the titles as...

Finance and Public Service Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw (left), listens as Head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff Mission Team to Jamaica, Dr. Uma Ramakrishnan, addresses journalists during the recent 13th IMF quarterly review media briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

10 years ago Finance & Public Service

Government Spends More to Protect the Most Vulnerable

The Government’s annual social protection expenditure under the four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) has exceeded the minimum $18 billion agreed on with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This was disclosed by Financial Secretary in the Finance and Public Service Ministry, Everton McFarlane, who said the figure has averaged between $21 billion and $23 billion. He was speaking at the recent...

Finance and Public Service Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw (left), responds to a question at today’s (August 19) 13th International Monetary Fund (IMF) quarterly review media briefing, held at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). Listening (from second left) are Head of the IMF Staff Mission Team to Jamaica, Dr. Uma Ramakrishnan; and IMF Resident Representative in Jamaica, Dr. Constant Lonkeng Ngouana.

10 years ago Finance & Public Service

Government and IMF Team to Discuss Successor Relationship

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team is scheduled to arrive within the next month for discussions with the Government on a successor relationship to the four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which ends in April 2017. Finance and the Public Service Minister, Hon Audley Shaw, made the announcement during Friday’s (August 19) 13th IMF quarterly review media briefing, held at the...

10 years ago Finance & Public Service

Government and IMF Team to Discuss Successor Relationship

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team is scheduled to arrive within the next month for discussions with the Government on a successor relationship to the four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which ends in April 2017. Finance and the Public Service Minister, Hon Audley Shaw, made the announcement during Friday’s (August 19) 13th IMF quarterly review media briefing, held at the...

Finance and Public Service Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw (left), responds to a question at today’s (August 19) 13th International Monetary Fund (IMF) quarterly review media briefing, held at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). Listening (from second left) are Head of the IMF Staff Mission Team to Jamaica, Dr. Uma Ramakrishnan; and IMF Resident Representative in Jamaica, Dr. Constant Lonkeng Ngouana. (File photo).

10 years ago Finance & Public Service

Jamaica on Track with IMF Targets

Jamaica is poised to secure a 13th drawdown, totalling US$40 million, from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The country is deemed to have fulfilled all quantitative performance targets and associated structural benchmarks under the IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for the April to June quarter. Disbursement of the funds is subject to the approval of the IMF’s Executive Board, which...

Tax Administration Jamaica’s (TAJ) Senior Technical Specialist, Monica Walker (left), is in light discussion with Nicola Lee-Tavares of Women Initiating Financial Interest (WIFI); and Sales and Marketing Manager for EduComm Co-operative Credit Union, Delroy Scarlett. The occasion was an income tax seminar at the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) on Old Hope Road, St. Andrew on Wednesday, August 17. The seminar was organised by WIFI, under the theme ‘The Income Tax Break Implementation and Its Impact on Public Servants’.

10 years ago Finance & Public Service

TAJ Provides Clarity on New Income Tax Regime

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) has been assisting individual income earners and businesses to better understand the Government’s new $1.5-million income tax threshold. Senior Technical Specialist at TAJ, Monica Walker, said that the agency has been conducting public-education seminars island-wide. She noted that several entities and persons have reported challenges, particularly regarding the correlation between the initial threshold of $592,800, which...

Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) Co-Chairman, Richard Byles, emphasises a point while addressing EPOC’s monthly media briefing at Sagicor Life Jamaica, New Kingston, recently. (File photo)

10 years ago Finance & Public Service

Country in Good Shape to Generate Higher Growth – EPOC Co-Chair

Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) Co-Chairman, Richard Byles, believes Jamaica is much better positioned to generate higher levels of economic growth. He said this is based on a stabilisation of the “basic fundamentals” supporting the economic programme. Among these, the EPOC Co-Chairman said, are the Government’s consistent attainment of the primary surplus balance, increased net international reserves (NIR), decline in...