As part of its efforts to make Parliamentary activities more accessible to the disabled community, the Houses of Parliament will pilot a Sign Language Interpretation programme for the hearing impaired in January 2014. The announcement was made during the meeting of the House of Representatives on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. In a brief statement, Speaker of the...

Businessman, Dr. Nigel Clarke, and Principal of Jamaica College, Ruel Reid, were sworn in as Opposition Senators in the Upper House, on Thursday, November 28,  by the Clerk of the Houses of Parliament, Mrs. Heather Cooke. This brings the total number of Opposition Senators to eight members, the full complement. The two Senators replace Dr. Christopher Tufton and Arthur Williams. In...

A motion, recommending that lobby groups be regulated, has been referred to the Internal and External Affairs Committee of the Houses of Parliament, to enable these groups to make submissions on the matter. The motion, among other things, calls on the House to debate the need for legislation that would require civil society groups, special interest groups and lobby groups...

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 19, passed the Omnibus legislation, which seeks to establish a transparent and coherent regime to govern all tax incentives. The Bills passed are the Fiscal Incentives (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act; and the Income Tax Relief (Large Scale Projects and Pioneer Industries) Act 2013. The Fiscal Incentives (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013 sets out the reforms...

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 12, began deliberations on a motion calling for the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) to, within two months; prepare a report on the fees charged by commercial banks and credit unions, up to October 31. Member of Parliament for South St. Catherine, Fitz Jackson, who piloted the motion, proposed that the Economy and Production...

Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Dr. Omar Davies, said that the expansion and modernisation of the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) remains on stream, with geotechnical work being undertaken. Speaking during Tuesday’s (October 29) sitting of the House of Representatives, Dr. Omar Davies informed that the three companies, which have been shortlisted to undertake the expansion project, are awaiting the...

Opposition Senator, Alexander Williams, is suggesting that a permanent Law Reform Commission be set up in Jamaica, which would seek to ensure that, among other things, the laws are simpler, fairer, and modern. He said the country should consider one similar to the Law Commission of England and Wales, which is an independent body set up by Parliament by the...