Rehabilitation of roadways in two parishes is to be completed in the 2017/18 fiscal year, under the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) Basic Needs Trust Fund project. These are the Grierfield road in St. Ann; and Bottom Bonnet road in St. Catherine. A sum of $119 million has been set aside in the 2017/18 Estimates of Expenditure to undertake this...

Three hundred health workers are to receive Disaster Risk Management and Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) training in order to strengthen the capacity of the country’s health sector to respond to natural disasters and emergencies. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is undertaking the training under the Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Programme (Health Sector), which is being facilitated...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, is reporting that over $2 million in property taxes have already been collected by the mobile units, which were recently launched in Clarendon and St. Mary. He was addressing a regional sensitisation session with mayors and councillors at the National Police College of Jamaica (NPCJ) in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine...

A sum of $500 million has been allocated for the rehabilitation of 47 kilometres of road structures in Trelawny, Clarendon and Manchester. This will be carried out under the Rural Road Rehabilitation II project being implemented by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation. As outlined in the 2017-18 Estimates of Expenditures, now before the House of Representatives, the...

The National Water Commission (NWC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the HEART Trust/NTA and Israel-based company, Miya, for the training and capacity building for its management and staff. This is being done under the Kingston and St. Andrew Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Co-Management Project. The training, to include 150 personnel, is to ensure a highly skilled and dedicated...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is to acquire two new fire boats valued at US$1.3 million. A contract for the acquisition of the vessels was signed by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, the Jamaica Fire Brigade and United States boat manufacturer, Brunswick Commercial and Government Products (BCGP) on February 14 at the Ministry in Kingston. In his...

Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says no attempt will be made to interfere with the property tax exemptions churches currently enjoy. He gave the assurance at the launch of the official mobile property tax unit in Port Maria, St. Mary, on February 8. A second unit was launched at Bargain Village in May Pen, Clarendon, on...