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Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has said that Government will be placing increased emphasis on containing crime, noting that efforts at social and economic reform will come to naught unless the monster of crime is brought under control. "None of what we are planning is going to be successful unless we bring the monster of...

The Fraud Squad acting, on information provided by the Revenue Protection Division (RPD), on Monday (October 12) arrested and charged an employee of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) on several counts, including fraud and uttering forged documents, a release from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service reported yesterday (October 13). The Ministry said that the employee has been...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has emphasised that the Government's commitment to good governance meant that focus must be placed on the relevance of all government institutions and their responsiveness to the needs of the public. "We are going to have to ask ourselves questions such as: Are we providing the support services that can...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, the Honourable Audley Shaw, has commended Scotiabank Jamaica on the launch, yesterday (October 12), of its $500 million facility for small and medium sized businesses. The new facility, the Productive Sector Growth Fund, targets enterprises under two years old with access to loans at an interest rate of 9.95 per cent. In a...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, the Hon Audley Shaw, met Thursday (October 8) with Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President, Luis Alberto Moreno, in Madrid, where he encouraged increased IDB support to Jamaica, particularly in the areas of agriculture and energy, in addition to policy based loans. His call came in the context of the 98th Meeting of the...

Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean region at the 98th Meeting of the Committee of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Madrid, Spain, today (October 8), Minister of Finance and the Public Service, the Honourable Audley Shaw, recognised the increased role of the IDB in the development efforts of the Caribbean, noting that the Bank...

Government is seeking to create a trust to make more funds available to the Students' Loan Bureau (SLB). Prime Minister, Hon. Bruce Golding, said that the move will enable students to borrow more, match the repayment schedules to expected salaries, and have the loans spread over longer periods. The Prime Minister was speaking with students of the University of the...

The Jamaica Tertiary Education Foundation is to be launched soon, Minister of Education, Hon. Andrew Holness, told students attending a Town Hall Meeting at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Kingston on Tuesday night. "Today, I spent three hours with a team from the Ministry, looking at how we are going to manage and...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Honourable Audley Shaw, this morning (October 7), thanked the World Bank for extending a US$15 million loan for the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Project, which is aimed at improving market access for micro and small-scale rural agricultural producers, and for tourism product and service providers in Jamaica. The Minister was speaking during...

Effective Monday (October 5), the Registrar General's Department (RGD) will be making adjustments to some of its fees. The move comes as the Agency seeks to sustain its operations and achieve greater efficiencies. The new fee structure will reflect adjustments in services provided by the Island Record Office arm of the Agency. Recording of deeds or other legal writings, office...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has predicted inflation in the range of 10-12% or lower this year, due to exchange rate stability and moderate international commodity prices. "We expect inflation for the fiscal year to be in the range of 10 to 12 per cent, reflecting stability in the exchange rate and moderation in international...

Opposition spokesman on finance, Dr. Omar Davies, has said that the Opposition stands ready to work with the Government during the current economic crisis, but not without conditions. "This co-operation and this collaboration cannot be taken for granted. We have certain basis and certain principles on which we work, and we have no hesitation and we have no reservation in...