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The Committal Proceedings Bill, which seeks to abolish preliminary enquiries, has been sent to a Joint Select Committee of Parliament for further deliberations.        Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding, who opened the debate on the Bill in the Senate, on July 20, said that the legislation sought to alleviate or reduce problems related to inordinate delay, high legal...

The Government of Jamaica remains committed to the ongoing and sustainable development of the entertainment industry as a national priority, said Minister of State for Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Damion Crawford. Mr. Crawford, who was making his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (July 17), said education and entertainment have a crucial role...

Attorney General, Hon. Patrick Atkinson, said his office is up to the task of providing effective legal advice to the Government when necessary. “I wish to categorically state that the Attorney General’s Chambers is a professional, high-quality law office which is up to the task of supporting me to give effectively and correctly, advice to the Government of Jamaica,in these...

The Entertainment Advisory Board has been mandated to formulate the tenets of an Entertainment Encouragement Act, which will facilitate further private sector involvement in the local entertainment industry. State Minister in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Damion Crawford, made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, on July 17. He...

The Government is moving ahead with plans to build a state-of-the-art adult facility to accommodate 5,000 inmates. The project has been on the drawing board for some time, and National Security Minister, Hon. Peter Bunting, said discussions are taking place with an international partner towards the development. He noted that the building of the facility, which will house male and...

As part of efforts to improve the efficiency of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), the entity is moving to clear the backlog of firearm licence applications. "The objective will be to complete the processing, from application to decision, within a six-month period, Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting said on July 17, during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate...

Minister of State for Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Damion Crawford, is urging Government to stand firm on the issue of free movement within CARICOM for all professionals, including dancers, singers and artists. "We must stand against the arbitrary banning of our entertainers from performing on shows in some of these countries,” Mr. Crawford said on July 17, in his contribution...

Minister without Portfolio (with responsibility for Housing), Hon. Dr. Morais Guy, said this year, the Ministry will be pursuing avenues to separate the land titling process from infrastructure.  The Minister said this action would free up the value of various properties and grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Dr. Guy was making his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate...

State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Arnaldo Brown, says he will be working closely with the Ministry of Housing to regularise a number of settlements within his East Central St. Catherine constituency. Mr. Brown, who made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives earlier this week, said these will...

The Board of Supervision of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development has acquired the Client Service Tracker Software, to assist in developing the Information Identification Homeless Database System (IIHS), to track the homeless. The client service tracker technology is a Microsoft access database.  This software captures a person’s data, including a photograph. Making his contribution to the 2012/13...

Minister with responsibility for Housing, Hon. Dr. Morais Guy, says the Government will be taking steps to strengthen the legislative and policy framework governing mortgages, in an attempt to revitalise the housing market. Dr. Guy made the disclosure on July 10, while making his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives. He said as part of...

The Government is seeking to amend the Mortgage Insurance Act (MIA), in an effort to increase the percentage of the appraised value of a property for which mortgage indemnity insurance can be provided. This was disclosed by Minister with responsibility for Housing, Hon. Dr. Morais Guy, during his contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, on...