Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Sancia Templer (centre), converses with (from left), Chair, Trade Facilitation Task Force, Patricia Francis, and Chief Executive Officer, Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation, Sharonmae Shirley, during a National Consultation Workshop on the ‘Development of a Coordinated Laboratory Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan for Jamaica’, held at the Terra Noval All-Suite...

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce has advanced efforts to strengthen monitoring and surveillance programmes and capacity-building by its regulatory agencies. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Sancia Bennett Templer, who made the disclosure, said these agencies include the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ), Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division (FSPID), National Compliance and Regulatory Authority (NCRA), along with...

Small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) are set to benefit from a Business Development Information Session being hosted by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) on Wednesday, November 22. The session, to be held under the theme ‘Maximising Tourism Market Opportunities’, is slated for the Courtleigh Auditorium in Kingston beginning 9:30 a.m. The event is among initiatives organised for SMTEs by...

The Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) is seeking the input of citizens on the advertising and marketing guidelines being proposed for gambling and gambling related products in Jamaica. A public consultation is being undertaken via electronic survey and an in-person session is scheduled for Monday (Nov. 20) at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in Kingston, where various stakeholder...

Two pieces of legislation that will integrate the National Family Planning Board and the National Council on Drug Abuse into the Ministry of Health and Wellness were laid before the Senate today (November 17). The National Council on Drug Abuse (Repeal) Bill 2023 and the National Family Planning Board (Repeal) Bill 2023 were piloted by Acting Leader of Government Business...

In a significant victory against transnational drug trafficking, the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) successfully intercepted two cocaine trafficking operations, including an export destined for Thailand at two courier facilities at the Norman Manley International Airport Cargo Section, on Thursday (Nov. 16, 2023). During routine Customs operations, Customs Officers at NMIA discovered and seized an undisclosed quantity of cocaine concealed in...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says Jamaica and the wider region see trade and investment as the most sustainable avenue for the region’s growth and development. Speaking today (November 16) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where the inaugural Saudi Arabia-CARICOM Summit is being held, Mr. Holness said that investment is a strategic way of increasing wealth without...