Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wayne Henry, says the economic signs remain positive, with the general buoyancy reflected through increased industrial activities and employment, among things. He was speaking at the quarterly media briefing at the agency’s New Kingston head office on Wednesday, November 15, where he announced gross domestic product (GDP) growth of by...

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has expressed deep regret at the passing of Chairman of the RJR/Gleaner Communications Group, J. Lester Spaulding, CD, JP. Mr Spaulding died in hospital this morning (November 17) in Kingston after ailing for some time. “Lester Spaulding was a shrewd businessman, his leadership in media and business was exemplary. He was unquestionably one of the most...

The Government’s roll-out of a robust national public education campaign on the National Identification System (NIDS) will continue with a series of town hall meetings islandwide. The first is scheduled for Emancipation Park in New Kingston on Thursday, November 23), starting at 6:00 p.m. This was disclosed by Director of Communications and Public Affairs in the Office of the Prime...

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is reporting that the country grew by an estimated 0.9 per cent for the July to September 2017 quarter, relative to the corresponding period last year. This out-turn reflects a 0.6 per cent increase over the April to June quarter, and is driven by a 1.1 per cent expansion in the services industry and...

Special provisions will be made for persons with disabilities and the indigent under the National Identification System (NIDS). This was disclosed by Programme Director for NIDS, Warren Vernon, during a press conference at Jamaica House on Tuesday (November 14). “We intend to have 43 enrolment centres across the island (and) those centres will be configured in such a way that...

Roll-out of the National Identification System (NIDS) is slated to begin with a pilot project in January 2019, focusing on civil servants. This was disclosed by Acting Chief Technical Director in the Office of the Prime Minister, Jacqueline Lynch-Stewart, who noted that it is a deliberate move to use this wide cross section of individuals who would provide “a good...

More than 70 per cent of the US$68 million projected for implementation of the National Identification System (NIDS) will be used to upgrade the Government’s information and technology (IT) infrastructure. This is according to NIDS Programme Director, Warren Vernon, who said this is being strengthened to ensure the system is ready for roll-out in 2019. “Most of the project’s budget...