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Last week, I visited Washington D.C. where I had discussions with the staff of the International Monetary Fund and with the Inter-American Development Bank, covering Jamaica’s macroeconomic programme. The objective of the visit was to present the Fund with an update on the macro economic developments in Jamaica, including the recently concluded Budget exercise and more importantly, to settle definitively...

The Public Service Commission has announced the appointments of Mrs. Nicole Foster-Pusey as Solicitor General in the Attorney General’s Chambers; and Mrs. Deirdre A. P. English-Gosse as Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Keeper of the Records in the Registrar General’s Department (RGD). The appointments take effect on August 7, 2012. Mrs. Foster-Pusey previously served in the Attorney General’s Chambers between...

The Jamaica Mortgage Bank (JMB) will be implementing a Home Deposit Financing Programme, in an effort to make home ownership more accessible to Jamaicans.  This was disclosed by Minister with responsibility for Housing, Hon. Dr. Morais Guy, during his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on July 10. "It has long been recognised that finding...

The public is being invited to submit nominations for this year’s Public Sector Customer Service Competition, which opens on Monday (July 9). The biennial competition, which is open to all public sector organizations, seeks to promote and encourage commitment to and continuous improvement in the quality of service delivery to the public, by recognizing and rewarding efforts of government agencies to...

Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, is anticipating significant accruable benefits to micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) stakeholders, from several measures being pursued for implementation by the government, to enhance growth and productivity within that sector. Speaking at a post-Budget forum hosted by the MSME Alliance, at the University of Technology, St. Andrew, on the theme:...

Minister of Finance, Planning and the Public Service, Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, says a national consensus is required of all Jamaicans about the importance of the country getting out of the current debt trap. The Minister said it has often been repeated, but not truly recognised by a lot of people, the severity of the economic situation that the country...

The Government has taken another step towards strengthening security at its commercial ports, with the signing of a Letter of Intent with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to participate in the Container Control Programme.   The signing took place on June 27, at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, in Kingston. This programme is...

As the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) moves to further strengthen measures to safeguard the financial sector, Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, is encouraging Credit Unions to accept the new regulations when they come on stream. Addressing the recent Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions (CCCU) Annual International Convention, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, in Montego Bay, the...

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, is urging the local credit union movement to promote amongst its membership, the need to comply with international standard regulations in the financial sector. The Minister who spoke at the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions on Saturday, June 23, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, in Montego...

The Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) is implementing a number of technologically advanced measures to improve the quality of the country’s currency, ensure longer circulation periods, and guard against counterfeiting. These strategies are expected to reduce costs to the Bank, as in the long term there will be less frequency in the printing of notes. (Related Story: BoJ Launches Special 50th...

The Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) officially launched its special series of 50th anniversary commemorative banknotes Wednesday June 19, in celebration of the country’s Golden Jubilee. Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, who spoke at the event, said the notes are not only being launched to celebrate the 50th year of Jamaica’s political independence, but “we are...

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, is urging local financial institutions to prepare for the implementation of the United States (US) Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which has implications for these entities. “We are still at an early stage in the implementation of FATCA. My impression is that the final regulatory arrangements are still not...