Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Director General, Dr. Wayne Henry, says data from the April 2021 labour market survey indicates that more than half of the 151,100 persons who lost their jobs in July 2020, during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been reinstated. This figure, he said, amounts to some 84,400 persons, despite the employed labour force...

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) wishes to remind businesspersons that the due date of August 31, 2021, for the filing and payment of GCT, SCT, TCT, and GART Returns for the month of July, has been extended to September 3, 2021. The decision has been taken by the Tax Authority to give consideration to those categories of taxpayers, who may have...

The Hotels and Restaurants Sector is estimated to have grown by a huge 330.7 per cent during the April to June 2021 quarter, to lead all Goods Producing and Services industries recording growth during the period. The out-turn for that subsector, which falls under the Services Industry, helped to spur a significant turnaround in the performance of the economy, which...

The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) says that balance sheets of deposit-taking institutions (DTIs) continue to indicate that they are growing, properly capitalised and are in compliance with prudent liquidity standards. Governor Richard Byles, said notwithstanding the “moderating impact” of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, loan growth for DTIs has remained “fairly resilient”, despite a slowing in the pace. Mr. Byles advised...

Jamaica acceded to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures, also known as the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) on Saturday (August 7), thus becoming the 128th contracting party. Senior Director, Trade Facilitation and Special Projects at the Jamaica Customs Agency, Michelle Bryan, told JIS News that the RKC is designed to help contracting parties achieve a...

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service remains committed to informing Jamaicans about the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS). The strategy, which was developed in 2017, articulates the Government’s drive to create an enabling environment that makes it easier for Jamaicans to save, invest and do business. The goal of the NFIS is to create the conditions under which...

Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Governor, Richard Byles, says the country’s growth outturn for fiscal year 2021/22 is likely to be higher than previously anticipated. This, he said, considering the stronger than expected improvements in the economies of Jamaica’s main trading partners from the fallout sparked by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “The Bank is currently projecting that real [gross domestic product]...