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Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie. (FILE)

Government to Reduce Number of Shelters

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says the Government is reducing the number of shelters across the island from 900 to 700. Mr. McKenzie was addressing disaster coordinators and public relations officers from 13 municipal corporations...

Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Lieutenant Colonel Oral Khan (left), shares in light conversation with (from 2nd left): Policy Advisor, Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, Government of Netherlands, Arthur Eijis; Executive Director, Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association, Patricia Aquing; and Head, Caribbean Sub-Regional Office, United Nations Environment, Vincent Sweeney. Occasion was the opening ceremony for the Caribbean Waste Management Conference held at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston on July 4.

Gov’t to Launch Four-Year Waste-Management Programme

Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (centre), converses with Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management
(ODPEM) Director General, Major Clive Davis (2 nd left), during the Jamaica-Mexico
Bilateral Cooperation Programme stakeholders’ meeting at ODPEM’s New Kingston head office on June 23. Others (from left) are: Mexico’s Ambassador to Jamaica, Her Excellency Martha Cecelia Jaber; Director General of the National Centre for Disaster
Preparedness in Mexico (CENAPRED), Dr. Carlos Gonzales; and Consultant for the
scoping mission of the governance continuity strategy development project, Ana Lucia
Hill. — Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (centre), converses with Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Director General, Major Clive Davis (2 nd left), during the Jamaica-Mexico Bilateral Cooperation Programme stakeholders’ meeting at ODPEM’s New Kingston head office on June 23. Others (from left) are: Mexico’s Ambassador to Jamaica, Her Excellency Martha Cecelia Jaber; Director General of the National Centre for Disaster Preparedness in Mexico (CENAPRED), Dr. Carlos Gonzales; and Consultant for the scoping mission of the governance continuity strategy development project, Ana Lucia Hill.

14 State Entities Targeted Under Continuity of Government Operations Plan

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (centre) and Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, His Excellency Masanori Nakano (left), listen to Acting Commissioner for the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Raymond Spencer, at the handover of two Command vehicles and a Hiace panel van to the (JFB) on June 21 at the York Park Fire Station on Orange Street in Kingston.

900 Fire Hydrants Repaired

Mayor of St. Ann's Bay, His Worship Michael Belnavis (left), in discussion with Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook, at the press launch of the upcoming Ocho Rios Seafood Festival in the town on June 22.

Mayor Says Food Festivals and Entertainment Events are Good for St. Ann

9 years ago Local Government

Local Government Minister Meets with Municipal Corporations July 5

The general state of readiness of Municipal Corporations islandwide for the hurricane season is to be discussed at a special meeting called by Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, on July 5 at the Hyatt Ziva Hotel in Montego Bay. Mr. McKenzie will meet with Disaster Coordinators and Public Relations Officers from all 13 Municipal Corporations....

9 years ago Local Government

Government to Sell Idle Lands in St. Catherine

Approximately 427 acres of idle lands located in St. Catherine are to be converted for commercial and residential purposes. This follows Cabinet’s approval of the sale of the lands by SCJ Holdings Limited. Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, made the disclosure during a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on June 28. He noted...

Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (right), addressing Friday’s (June 23) Jamaica-Mexico Bilateral Cooperation Programme meeting at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in New Kingston. Listening (from left) are: Director General of the National Centre for Disaster Preparedness in Mexico (CENAPRED), Dr. Carlos Gonzales; Mexico’s Ambassador to Jamaica, Her Excellency Martha Cecelia Jaber; ODPEM’s Director General, Major Clive Davis; and United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, Bruno Pouezat.

9 years ago Local Government

Strategy to Ensure Continuity in Times of Disaster

A national strategy is being developed by the Government to ensure the continuity of its operation and that of state entities, in the event Jamaica is severely impacted by major natural disasters, such as an earthquake or intense hurricane. The plan is being facilitated under the 2016/17 Jamaica-Mexico Bilateral Cooperation Agreement, which entails the implementation of projects in 13 areas,...

Desmond McKenzie (left), accepts a cheque valued at $2.5 million from Marketing Manager, Lasco Distributors Limited, Kelia Dunbar (right), during the official launch of the Social Development Commission’s (SDC) National 20/20 Community Cricket Competition, at the Ministry’s Hagley Park Road offices, in Kingston, on June 22. Others (from second left) are Deputy Chairman, SDC Board, Richard Creary and member of the SDC Board, Donovan Williams.

9 years ago Local Government

263 Teams Take Part in SDC Community Cricket Competition

A total of 263 teams from communities across the island are competing for $6 million in cash and prizes in the 11th staging of the Social Development Commission (SDC) National 20/20 Community Cricket Competition. The tournament, which began on April 30 with the preliminary rounds, will see teams over the next four months compete at the parish and regional levels,...

9 years ago Local Government

JSIF to Spend $260 Million on Removal of Zinc Fences

Managing Director of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Omar Sweeney, says $260 million has been allocated for the removal of zinc fences in communities throughout sections of the island. The project, which falls under the Integrated Community Development Project and is funded jointly by the Government and the World Bank, aims to provide a general framework for integrating the...

9 years ago Local Government

Fire Brigade Gets Command Units from Japan

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) now has two command units, which will boost its capacity to respond to emergencies. The vehicles, which are valued at more than US$407,000, were donated by the Government of Japan under its Non-Project Grant Aid for the Provision of Industrial Products. Designed to operate as mobile offices, each unit can accommodate six persons and boasts...

9 years ago Local Government

Flash Flood Watch in Effect for all Parishes

The Meteorological Service (Met Service) has issued a Flash Flood Watch for low-lying and flood-prone areas of all parishes, effective until 5 a.m. tomorrow (June 16). The Met Service says a large area of disturbed weather across the western Caribbean is influencing weather conditions across Jamaica. The system is expected to linger west of the island through to Sunday. As a...