Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, tabled the First Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for 2020/2021, in the House of Representatives, on May 13. The figures show that the Budget for the 2020/21 fiscal year has been revised to $838.15 billion, down from $853.46 billion. The Recurrent (Housekeeping) budget has been increased from $779 billion...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is prioritising the health and welfare of citizens, while safeguarding the economy as it navigates the country through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “There is no trade-off. If we are going to survive, we have to learn how to be healthy and work at the same time,” Mr. Holness said. He...

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced a five-point recovery plan for the country’s tourism sector that includes a “staggered reopening” of entities. “We do not see reopening as being a one-shop activity that immediately, everywhere will be opened. We think that reopening will be on a staggered basis as we build our own capacity to receive the large...

Since mid-March 2020, financial institutions have experienced an extraordinary need for liquidity in order to facilitate portfolio shifts by their customers and to build buffers against growing uncertainty. In response to liquidity needs Bank of Jamaica initiated several measures including the purchase of securities and the extension of short-term lending in order to relieve those pressures. In the context of...

Jamaicans are being encouraged to adjust practices and lifestyles to deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19). The call comes from Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, who indicated that the virus will remain in the country for some time. Dr. Tufton was speaking at the presentation of 20 hospital beds by Unicomer (Courts) Jamaica Limited to the...

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) wishes to advise the public that effective Monday, May 18, 2020, all Tax Offices and the Stamp Duty and Transfer Tax Office will be open to the public from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm daily. TAJ business offices, including the Corporate Office, will close at 4:00 pm. The adjustment in the operating hours of TAJ offices...

The JamCovid19 App is now available for download on Android devices via the following link https://tinyurl.com/JAMCOVID19. The app has been available on iOS devices for almost a month The application, developed through a public private partnership with Amber Group Limited, is an easy-to-use, centralized source for Government of Jamaica COVID-19 information and services. In addition to providing the latest data...