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Activities under the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Local Offenders and Deported Persons programme should be significantly enhanced this year, through a $81.2 million provision in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. With support funding from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the project is intended to reduce the rate of re-offending amongst local...

The Government is to continue work on the development of a National Spatial Plan for the country this year, following the allocation of an additional $14 million in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the House of Representatives. The plan, work on which commenced in January 2010, is being tailored to provide the strategic spatial framework to guide urban...

The Jamaica Economical Housing Project has been given $1.35 billion in the 2012/2013 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The project seeks to upgrade infrastructure (water, sewer and roads) in rural communities of St. Ann and St. Elizabeth; provide affordable housing solutions in St. Elizabeth; and to alleviate the deficit of housing solutions in St. Ann, by...

Governor-General, His Excellency the Most. Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, on May 14 implored parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth, to show respect for the views of others during House sittings, as a demonstration of their commitment to the process of democracy. “I suggest that as parliamentarians, you view this matter of civility and respectful discourse in parliament as not just a...

The Government has put forward a budget of $612.4 billion for 2012/13, with $375 billion earmarked for Recurrent (house-keeping) expenses and $237.4 billion for Capital (development) obligations. Details of these projections are included in the Estimates of Expenditure, which were tabled in the House of Representatives on Thursday May 10th by Minister of Finance, Planning and Public Service, Hon. Dr....

The 2012/2013 session of Parliament began Thursday May 10, at Gordon House, with the traditional pomp and pageantry, and highlighted by the delivery of the Throne Speech by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir. Patrick Allen, at 11:00 a.m. A small group of supporters who gathered at Duke Street cheered  members of both political parties as they arrived. The...

As the Government moves to improve the number and quality of Bills passed in the Houses of Parliament, approximately 32 Bills will be approved during this legislative year. This was disclosed by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, as he delivered the Throne Speech in Gordon House, on May 10, to mark the opening of the new...

Cabinet has approved insurance placement for the Airports Authority of Jamaica (AAJ) for the period May 1, 2012, to April 30, 2015, through Marathon Insurance Brokers Limited. “The AAJ’s insurance had to be extended in March for a period of one month to allow for the Financial Services Commission (FSC) to investigate if there was preferential treatment in the quotation...

The State Opening of Parliament will take place on May 10, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen  will deliver the Throne Speech, in which he will outline the government’s programmes and policies for the 2012/13 Fiscal Year, which began on April 1. Later in the afternoon, Minister of Finance, Planning and Public Service,...

A motion proposing the re-examination of the driver’s licencing system has been referred to a Special Select Committee for further review. The motion, which was tabled by Government Senator, Imani Duncan-Price in the Upper House on Thursday May 3, questioned the integrity of the current system, in particular the process and qualifications required for an applicant to successfully obtain a...

The Senate has approved amendments to the Processed Food Act and the Standards Act, to among other things, increase fines and penalties for breaches. Approval of the Bills, which were piloted by Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding through the Upper House on Friday (May 4), pave the way for offenders to be fined $3 million for offences,...

Senator Lambert Brown is urging the Government to develop an address database of all drivers’ licence holders as a means of easily locating traffic violators. The move, he said, will ensure that traffic offenders pay their fines and reduce the levels of delinquency within the system. “I believe that in the future, what we need to be doing is seeking...