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The legacy of the late Keats Hall to forest and watershed conservation and management in Jamaica is immeasurable. Our national record of maintaining valuable woodlands useful for construction, craft, agriculture, botanical and even marine uses, as well as watershed protection, would not be as advanced without his contribution to effective forest management. He was the first director of the, now...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is pursuing discussions with the Department of Local Government regarding a possible increase in fees charged for services it currently delivers. Assistant Commissioner of the JFB and Chief Fire Prevention Officer, Samuel McIntosh, informed JIS News that an increase in the range of 17 per cent is being sought, which he pointed out would be...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) will observe Earthquake Awareness Week from January 9-15, 2010, under the theme: 'Learn, Plan, Prepare...the next big quake could be near!' Several activities have been planned by ODPEM to mark the Week, which is aimed at increasing the general awareness of the Jamaican public to the importance of preparing for an...

Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Hon Robert Montague, has commended Mayors and Councillors for their commitment to the implementation of Local Government Reform over the past 2 years. Speaking with JIS News, at the first annual Local Government Recognition Awards for Councils, at White River, St. Mary, on Wednesday,...

Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding says that the Government will arrange the appropriate recognition for Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus operator, Ms. Annette Howard, for keeping a cool head and using her initiative to move persons away from the American Airlines crash of December 22. Ms Howard paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister along with the...

Executive Director of the Broadcasting Commission, Cordel Green, has said that if Jamaica is to participate, fully, in the new information economy, it will need to develop a media literate population. According to the Executive Director in an interview with the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Jamaicans must not be satisfied just being consumers of the products, but must also aim...

TIME Magazine today named ace Jamaican sprinter and world record holder for the 100 and 200 metres, Usain Bolt, among the four runners-up for its prestigious "Person of the Year" 2009. The award went to Ben Bernanke, the 56-year-old chairman of the United States' central bank, the Federal Reserves, who is credited with preventing the economic catastrophe threatened by the...

Days after the disappearance of Jamaica Information Service (JIS) printer/pressman, Michael Roberts, members of the JIS remain vigilant in their plea for his safe return. Mr. Roberts has been reported missing since Wednesday, December 16. Printery Supervisor at the JIS, Mr. Colbert Simpson, who has known Michael for six years, describes him as a gentle fun-loving person. "He is very...

Major highlights of the activities of the Government in 2009, as carried out by the various Ministries and Agencies, are to be revisited in 'Year In Review' stories and photographs produced by the Jamaica Information Service (JIS). The stories and photographs will be published in a 'Voice of Jamaica' Supplement to be made available as a pullout in the Jamaica...

Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, said Wednesday night (December 23) that his administration accepted the principle of sharing the tax burden more proportionately and equitably as a sound argument. He said that, accordingly, the following additional measures will be introduced in the revised tax package: The personal income tax rate will be increased to 27.5 per cent on all...

"We have listened and we have heard," was Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding's response to public criticism of the tax package announced in the House of Representatives, last week Thursday. In a national broadcast on Wednesday night (December 23), Mr. Golding said, "the response from the people of Jamaica has been loud and profound." "I want to commend the...

Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding on Wednesday night (December 23) announced a revised tax package which seeks to minimise, as much as possible, the impact on poor families. The new package ensures that basic food items, sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, orthopedic apparatus including wheelchairs, white canes for the blind and other aids for the disabled, sports equipment, furnishing for...