World Trade Organization (WTO), Director General, Ambassador Roberto de Azevêdo, says Jamaica is well placed to develop the services sector which, he notes, is an area that can provide sustained economic growth. Trade in services remains an important economic activity for Jamaica and is a priority for the country in the Doha Round negotiations. The services industry in Jamaica continues...

Jamaica’s merchandise trade deficit fell by 13.4 per cent to US$2.9 billion for January to September 2015, when compared to the US$3.3 billion recorded over the similar period in 2014. Co-Chair of the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC), Richard Byles, credited the improvement to the reduction in food imports and lower oil prices. He said the decrease in food import...

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator  the Hon. A. J. Nicholson, says the outcome of the recent Conference of the Parties (COP) 21, held in  Paris, France, was a "positive one for Jamaica, for Caricom and for Small Island Developing States, more generally." "We were pleased, in particular, to see recognition of the need to endeavour to keep...

Tijani Christian, a 24-year-old Jamaican, is among 60 young people from across the Commonwealth being recognised as exceptional leaders in their community and who will receive a prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award. Despite a difficult childhood, Tijani excelled at school and went on to win many awards, including the Prime Minister's National Youth Award for Excellence for 2013 in the...

The British Government has announced that it will be providing £240,000 towards the erection of a permanent statue of noted Jamaican-born Mary Seacole, nurse and heroine of the Crimean War. The money will come from fines imposed on banks for fraudulently manipulating the foreign exchange markets. Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, made the announcement during his autumn statement and...

Hundreds of Jamaican nationals in London, Birmingham and Manchester benefited from services offered by visiting Government agencies and departments, which were in the United Kingdom (UK) from November 26 to December 1. These included the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), Registrar General’s Department (RGD), National Land Agency (NLA), Jamaica Customs Agency, Administrator General’s Department (AGD), Companies Office of Jamaica,...

Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), Ambassador Ralph Thomas, has reiterated the country’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights at all levels of the society. He was delivering Jamaica’s Statement at a special sitting of the Permanent Council of the OAS, in Washington, in commemoration of Human Rights Day on December 10. Ambassador  ...