The World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2016 has ranked Jamaica's economy in the top ten most improved economies worldwide. Jamaica has also improved its ranking in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. This movement is attributed to Jamaica's implementation of four major reforms over the past year. These reforms include ease of paying taxes with the introduction of the...

Significant savings are expected from the implementation of the Public Procurement Act, which was passed in Parliament in September. Senior Director of the Procurement and Asset Policy Unit in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Cecile Maragh, says the Government hopes to reduce the amount spent on public procurement by at least 2 per cent. “Last fiscal year, we spent...

Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillip left the island yesterday, Saturday, 24 October 2015 for Santiago de Chile, to attend FOROMIC Chile 2015, where the delegation will participate in the handing over ceremony for FOROMIC Jamaica 2016. In April 2014, the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, designated Jamaica as the...

Senior managers and heads of government departments and agencies are being encouraged to enroll in the newly established Public Sector Senior Leadership Development Programme (PSSLDP), as part of their plans for career advancement. This invitation comes from Minister with responsibility for the Public Service, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Hon. Horace Dalley, who says the programme, based on its content,...

The Government, through the Ministry of Finance and Planning, will commence a public sector pay policy review during the current fiscal year. Minister with responsibility for the Public Service in the Ministry, Hon. Horace Dalley, made the disclosure during Thursday’s (October 22) signing of the 2015/17 Heads of Agreement for the Association of Librarians in the Jamaica Library Service (ALJLS),...

The Government will commence retroactive payments to civil servants for the 2015/17 contract period, on October 30. Minister with responsibility for the Public Service in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Hon. Horace Dalley, said next week’s payments will reflect the four per cent equivalent increase on salaries for the first six months, April 1 to September 30. He further...

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) is expecting improved efficiency through the implementation of Phase Two of its new Revenue Administration Integrated System (RAiS), which is scheduled for roll-out on December 7. Through this phase of the programme, persons will, for the first time, be able to apply for their Tax Registration Number (TRN) and Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC) online. There will...