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Over 30 representatives of several key disaster response agencies and organisations across the island, are currently participating in a two-day workshop being jointly staged by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), which aims to equip them with the requisite knowledge to prepare for and respond to earthquakes. The workshop,...

Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding has invited the Opposition to name a representative on Jamaica's team to the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, Denmark, December 7-18. Mr. Golding, in a statement to the House of Representatives, on Tuesday (December 1) about last week end's Commonwealth Heads of...

The Ministry of Transport and Works last night opened up the Portmore Toll Road to toll-free traffic up to midnight, to reduce congestion in the Spanish Town Road area of Kingston created by a major fire at the Wray and Nephew plant. The fire started at about 6 p.m. and was still in progress four hours later. Prime Minister the...

Twenty seven nominations have been received for the Prime Minister's Youth Awards for Excellence, to be presented on Sunday, December 6, at Emancipation Park, in Kingston, beginning at 5:00 p.m. They are: Kerri Ann Allen, Zurie Johnson, Olivia Rose, Doneika Simms and Rochelle Whyne in the category of Academics; Danielle Hyde in the field of Entrepreneurship; Siaelda Green and Trudi...

Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, has said that poverty is an enemy of the environment and funding must continue to be given towards its alleviation. He was addressing Commonwealth Heads of Government in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on November 27. In his contribution to the special session on climate change, Mr Golding said he was encouraged by statements from United Nations...

Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, has expressed disappointment that there seems to be no clear direction on the restructuring of the International Financial Institutions (IFIs). Further, he is concerned that once the economic crisis recedes, the interests of middle income developing countries, like Jamaica, might be forgotten. Mr. Golding, who is in Trinidad participating in the Commonwealth Heads of...

Jamaica Customs reported Friday (November 27) that effective Tuesday (December 1), persons clearing barrels containing personnel effects will pay Customs $5,000 per barrel. The Department said that this does not apply to commercial shipments. The fixed rate of $5,000 on items usually described as personnel effects does not include shipping, storage, wharfage costs or Queens's Warehouse charges on overtime goods....

Some 192 priority development plans, which set out key areas identified by communities for development, have been submitted to the Social Development Commission (SDC). Director of Community Development Planning at the SDC, Mr. Courtney Brown, addressing a Think Tank at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) head office in Kingston yesterday (November 26), explained that the SDC officers work with the...

Jamaica's Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, was among leaders representing the 53 states who took on climate change as their primary issue, as the 21st Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) opened in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on Friday (November 28). Mr. Golding is leading Jamaica's team, which also includes: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and...

Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government, Hon. Robert Montague, has urged members of the International University of the Caribbean (IUC) community to continue to rise above the global challenges and strive for quality education. "You must build upon the foundation of your past victories, rather than being overwhelmed by the monumental scope of the challenges you face, posed...

Sixteen residents from the community of Cauldwell in Hanover have been certified as fire wardens, bringing to 119 the total number of such personnel in the parish. The move is in keeping with a national initiative launched in July 2008 to train and certify community members to be first responders in the event of fires or other disasters in their...

While Jamaica's Commercial banks are stepping up their assistance to small and medium sized enterprises by providing low interest loans, Government is also determined to play its part in strengthening support services to this sector. Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding has given instructions to the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) to strengthen its support services and to the Scientific...