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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...

A $500 million beautification and rehabilitation project is to be undertaken in the town of Falmouth, in Trelawny. Attorney General and Member of Parliament for North Trelawny, Hon.  Patrick Atkinson, made the disclosure while delivering the keynote address at a Friends of Trelawny Association’s (FOTA) ‘Tribute in Gold’ gala, held recently at the Hilton JFK Hotel in Queens, New York....

A total of 270 grade six students from schools within the Trench Town, Hannah Town and Denham Town communities, downtown Kingston recently benefitted from life skills training, aimed at enhancing their socio-cultural skills and decorum. The training was conducted as part of a Kingston Restoration Company (KRC)/Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) project, being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank,...

Residents of the adjoining districts of Comfort Hall and Scarlett Hall near Falmouth in Trelawny, have joined together to establish a neighbourhood watch group, sending a clear message of zero tolerance against crime and all criminal activities in the area. The Comfort Hall/Scarlett Hall Community Development Association and Neighbourhood Watch was officially launched on June 3 during a ceremony at...

The St. James Parish Council has commenced a series of quarterly intersectoral fora, to bring together, representatives from all major state agencies, business and civic groups, for dialogue aimed at improving service delivery within the parish. Addressing the first quarterly meeting held on May 31 at the Oleander Restaurant at Sandals Montego Bay, Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Glendon Harris,...

Hundreds of persons turned out in St. Elizabeth on Labour Day (May 23), to beautify towns, clean community spaces, build community amenities and homes for the elderly. Many of the projects were completed, and in other cases significant work was done with many of the residents promising to volunteer their time to ensure that they are completed in short order....

Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Angela Brown Burke, says providing and maintaining a clean environment for family-oriented recreational activities is a major focus of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) for the development of downtown. “We are looking, in our 140th year, to see what we do with downtown in terms of its development. It’s not just about the Waterfront,...

Three ministries of government are collaborating to ensure that this year's Labour Day activities are successful. These are Youth and Culture, Labour and Social Security, and Local Government and Community Development. (Related Story: Parish Councils Take Lead in Registering Labour Day Projects) Principal Director of Culture in the Ministry of Youth and Culture, Sydney Bartley, stated that out of recognition...