Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Colin Bullock, says expansion of the economy requires a strong private sector, fiscal consolidation, and strategic investments or mega projects. He also listed capacity building of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), proper spatial planning, a strategic framework to guide urban development and investment decision making, foreign exchange earnings from local...

The Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) has established an Education Fund as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, as it prepares to move its offices from Ruthven Road to Hagley Park Road in Kingston. The aim of the Fund is to contribute to the welfare of children through education and ultimately assist in their upliftment. To this end,...

The impact of drought conditions on the prices of agricultural produce should be reversed by year-end. This is according to Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) Governor, Brian Wynter, who was addressing the BoJ’s quarterly media briefing held on August 25 at the Bank’s downtown Kingston offices. “This view is underpinned by the assessment that most of the crops that were affected...

Jamaica seems set to receive approval for draw down of SDR 45.95 million (US$71 million) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This follows a successful fifth Staff Review of the country’s performance under the four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which was conducted from August 12 to 22. The IMF mission assessed the performance for the quarter ending June 2014 and...

In keeping with the Government’s growth strategy, the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), is vigorously  addressing the issue of access to financing for small entrepreneurs. General Manager for the Strategic Services Division at the bank, Claudine Tracey, told a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’ that the DBJ has taken a systematic approach to addressing the issue.  She said the DBJ has...

Jamaicans living overseas have remitted US $16 billion to the island over the last 10 years. This was disclosed by Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Arnaldo Brown, while addressing the launch of the Mapping Jamaica’s Diaspora Project recently in Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Brown said the level of inflow demonstrates the continued commitment...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is reporting a “positive response,” to its online Mapping Jamaica Diaspora Project. Funded by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the survey aims to capture the location, interest and skills of persons, which will result in the establishment of a database to support the Government’s policy direction and its interaction with members...