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Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, says the region must place high priority on the issue of disaster management. He noted that the Caribbean region is considered to be the second most disaster prone in the world, and  revealed that for Jamaica alone, it is conservatively estimated that for the past 10 years, the country has...

Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Noel Arscott, says he is on a mission to transform the imageof his Ministry and to institutionalise a culture of openness and accountability. “We (pledge) to build an image of local government that runs contrary to any view that the system is inefficient and not accountable in delivering high quality services,” he stated....

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, has assured that the affairs of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) are being tidied up, with new control guidelines issued for the agency’s accounting practices. “As we go forward, we will continue to tighten up the system, to put more checks and balances there, and a sub-committee of...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, says the government is committed to establishing long lasting partnerships among its Ministries, departments and agencies with international and private sector groups. This, he said, is to improve safety and security in communities across the island, as well as continuing Jamaica’s development process. “We have to recognise that we are...

With the budget for public cleansing and garbage disposal amounting to $150 million per month, the Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, is appealing to Jamaicans to stop littering. “Stop littering and throwing waste from the windows of our cars and throwing garbage wantonly in our gullies and water-ways. For far too long, we have taken...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, says the administration is committed to fast tracking the entrenchment of Local Government in the Jamaican Constitution. “Already, in order to fast track this commitment to the Jamaican people, the Ministry of Justice has issued drafting instructions to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel and we await the draft Bill,” Mr. Arscott...

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development has commenced an audit of the island’s street lights. The assessment process got underway two weeks ago in the parish of Clarendon. Speaking in the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 26), portfolio Minister, Hon. Noel Arscott, said the audit, which involves collaboration with the Jamaica Public...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Noel Arscott, says Parish Development Committees (PDCs) have played an integral role in broadening the decision-making process and mechanisms of inclusiveness at the local and community levels. “Despite the meagre resources, the PDCs have been bolstered through various initiatives and partnerships,” Mr. Arscott said, during his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate...

Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Noel Arscott, has announced plans to undertake a property revaluation exercise during the 2012/13 fiscal year. Making his presentation in the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, on June 26, Mr. Arscott said the Ministry will partner with the National Land Agency (NLA) to implement the “long overdue” project during the...

Special focus is being placed on the development of early childhood education in South St. Andrew. Minister of Transport, Works and Housing and Member of Parliament for the area, Dr. the Hon. Omar Davies, has introduced a BASICS Initiative, which seeks to foster best practices throughout the 28 basic schools in the area. Speaking in the 2012/2013 Sectoral Debate in...

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, on June 18, began its series of two-day regional workshops to prepare the local authorities to embrace the new paradigm of local governance. This is a fundamental feature of local government reform, which the government is aggressively pursuing under a new phase termed “the revitalization of local governance”. At the opening session...

Work has commenced on the historic Clock Tower and its surroundings, located at the top of Barnett Street, in Montego Bay, with a view to giving that location the pride of place it once held in the city. Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Glendon Harris, said the St James Parish Council is carrying out the work and has classified it...