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Member of Parliament for St. Ann South Eastern, Lisa Hanna, has put forward several proposals to get youths more involved in the economy, including providing incentives for young graduates to enter certain industries. "The Government needs to offer specific incentives to direct the graduate towards export-driven industries, and all nationally-funded programmes should be directed to achieve this objective," she stated...

Member of Parliament for North West St. Ann, Othneil Lawrence, says that substantial progress has been made in the rehabilitation of community centres in the constituency. Mr. Lawrence said that centres in Beverly and Dumbarton have already been completed, with funding from his Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation, as well as the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI). He said that partnerships...

Member of Parliament for North West St. Ann, Othneil Lawrence, says that lands have been identified at Mount Edgecombe, Runaway Bay, for the construction of a new health care facility expected to cost some $15 million. "We intend to make this project a reality through the allocation of funds from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), the North East Regional Health...

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Shahine Robinson, has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to make good use of the resources provided under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), to give effective representation to their constituents. Mrs. Robinson, who has portfolio responsibility for the Fund, was making her presentation to the 2009/10 Sectoral Debate yesterday (July...

Kingston Inner City Competitiveness Initiative (KICCI), which aims to facilitate the revitalisation of communities in downtown Kingston, was officially launched today (July 23) at the Jamaica Conference Centre. The $11,125,000 (US$125,000) project, slated to run for just under a year, will engage stakeholders, including residents, to identify areas for investment and outline a plan for restoration. It is being funded...

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Local Government, Hon. Robert Montague, has called on Jamaicans to get involved in the local government reform process, noting that the aims and objectives of the reforms will not be fully realised without the public's input and support. He was addressing a town hall meeting on Monday,...

Member of Parliament for South East St. Mary, Tarn Peralto, has announced plans to expand an academic intervention programme, which was introduced in the constituency last year to assist youngsters, who were deemed to be underperforming in school. "This programme will be expanded over the next budget year to include more of our primary schools," Mr. Peralto said in his...

Member of Parliament for South East St. Catherine, Colin Fagan, said that the Social Development Commission (SDC) must increase its visibility and assist in boosting the number of community groups and organisations. "There needs to be an increase in the number of community organisations that have the necessary skills and knowledge to actively participate in local deliberations. The SDC should...

As the Government seeks to accelerate the Local Government Reform process, a number of responsibilities are to be returned to the Parish Councils as of August 1. Among these is the calculation of pension benefits for Parish Council officers. State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Local Government Reform, Hon. Robert Montague, speaking at a...

Councillors are being urged to address the problems of their divisions as a unified body, and to approach local and international funding agencies in seeking to assist these communities. The call came from State Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Local Government Reform, Hon. Robert Montague, at a special meeting of the St. Thomas Parish...

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Local Government, Hon. Robert Montague, has urged Councillors to identify ways in which the Parish Councils could earn additional revenue. "Councillors are making representations for more money to spend and very few are making suggestions as to how we could increase the revenue," he lamented, as he...

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) with responsibility for Local Government, Hon. Robert Montague, has said that implementation of the recommendations for Local Government Reform has been extended from September to June next year. Addressing members of the St. Catherine Parish Council at a special meeting on June 29 at the Council's office, Spanish Town,...