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The new session of Parliament began on January 17, with the swearing in of the 63 elected representatives, who won their seats in the General Elections on December 29, 2011, and 20 of the 21-member Senate. During the ceremony, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Manchester, Michael Peart, was chosen as Speaker of the House of Representatives, while MP for...

A Parliamentary Committee is to be established to examine the relevance of the Office of the Political Ombudsman. Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, informed the Lower House of the decision at Tuesday’s (April 17) sitting. “This is a committee that will be meeting very shortly to examine the matter (the Political Ombudsman Interim...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, Hon. Damion Crawford, says the concept of public (state) financing for election candidates should not be seen as a subsidy. “What public financing is trying to achieve is to reduce the influence of contributors to the Member’s decision making, in their pursuit of their own self interest. So, I agree...

The Senate unanimously approved a Motion, on April 5, seeking Government’s commissioning of a publication of the history of Jamaica’s Parliament, to include the names of Parliamentary Officers, Members, Clerks, Deputy Clerks and Marshals, as well as the titles of laws passed in the period since independence to the present. The Motion was moved by Government Senator, Lambert Brown, and...

Claimants awaiting awards in court cases over lengthy periods will soon be able to benefit from interim payments from defendants. This is being made possible through the drafting of legislation, which will give Supreme Court judges the authority to make Orders for interim payments in such circumstances as specified by the court.  Announcing that Cabinet had issued drafting instructions, Minister...

Cabinet has endorsed the establishment of an Economic Advisory Council to advise the Minister of Finance and Planning, Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips, on financial and economic issues, which will promote growth and development in the country. The Council will comprise former Financial Secretaries, Collin Bullock and Shirley Tyndale; and Economist, Dennis Morrison. “Cabinet was informed that the economic challenges facing...

State Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, says a Green Paper on the draft Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) and Entrepreneurial Policy could be tabled in Parliament as early as April. Speaking at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Department of Management Studies’ research symposium, entitled: ‘Managing Small Firms that have Gone Public', held at...

Cabinet has established a special sub-committee to examine measures that are required to create a more enabling business environment. This was disclosed by Minister of Finance, Planning and the Public Service, Hon. Dr. Peter Phillips on March 22, during his address at the Jamaica Exporters Association’s (JEA) monthly luncheon at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston. The Minister informed that...

A Resolution seeking the withdrawal of $1.938 billion from the Capital Development Fund (CDF), was approved by the House of Representatives on March 20. Leader of Government Business in the Lower House, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, explained that of the $1.938 billion being withdrawn, $1.786 billion is for payments into the Consolidated Fund to provide budgetary support for the fiscal year...

The House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 20) approved the withdrawal of $88.4 billion from the Consolidated Fund. The funds are to carry on the business of Government from April 1, 2012 until the budget for the 2012/13 fiscal year is approved. Leader of Government Business in the Lower House, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, who moved the resolution, noted that this...

The government has increased the 2011/12 budget by $11.2 billion. This was revealed in the third Supplementary Estimates tabled on Wednesday March 20 in the House of Representatives. The new budget reflects total government expenditure of $536.4 billion for the rest of the fiscal year from the previous $525.2 billion, which was approved in the Second Supplementary Estimates on March...

Members of the Senate paid tribute to the late Hon. Justice Carl Rattray, OJ, QC, on Friday who passed away Wednesday (March 14). Senator K.D. Knight, who is a QC, remembered Justice Rattray as an advocate of the highest quality, noting that it was a pleasure to hear him addressing the court. “He was meticulous in the way he did...