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KINGSTON — The Houses of Parliament will dissolve effective today (December 8), ahead of the December 29 General Election. This means that all sittings of the House of Representatives and the Senate will end until a new government is formed. Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, told yesterday's (December 7) post Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House that all the...

KINGSTON — A community centre is to be built in Rocky Point, Clarendon at a cost of more than $30 million, in honour of late former Prime Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for South East Clarendon, the Most Hon. Hugh Lawson Shearer. Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, who is MP for the constituency, where Rocky Point is located,...

KINGSTON — The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel was established over 50 years ago, as a dedicated office for facilitating the Government in the delivery of its policies, which require legislation. It consists of a cadre of attorneys-at-law headed by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Mr. Albert Edwards and is supported by a dedicated team of administrative professionals and other categories...

Cabinet has received its first update on the Public Sector Transformation Unit’s (PSTU) Master Rationalization Plan (MRP). Minister with responsibility for the Public Service and Information, Senator Arthur Williams, told journalists at Wednesday’s (November 23) post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House that the update is contained in the first quarterly report, which the PSTU submitted to Cabinet. Pointing out that...

Cabinet has given approval for the maintenance of verges and medians in several resort areas of St James and St Ann. The projected cost is  JM $57.2 million which is part of the ‘Spruce Up Jamaica, Nice Up Yuself’ initiative to create an attractive environment in the resort areas.  Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator Arthur Williams told the November 23 post cabinet...

KINGSTON — The Bill prohibiting open balloting, and removing limitations on the use of vehicles to convey voters to polling stations on election day was approved by the Senate on Thursday November 24, 2011. The Bill, which has been hustled through both Houses of Parliament this week to ensure implementation prior to a likely early General Election, was piloted in...

Cabinet has given  approval for a contract valued at just over JM $39 million to  Jamaica Drip Irrigation Limited for the supply and installation of irrigation pumps, motors, pump manifolds, control centres and construction of pump houses for the Yallahs Irrigation System, Phase 1 in St. Thomas. Speaking at the November 23 post cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Minister...

KINGSTON — An Act to amend the Standards Act was tabled Tuesday (November 22) in the House of Representatives. The Bill, tabled by Minister of Industry Investment and Commerce, Dr. Christopher Tufton, seeks to impose more realistic penalties for offences under the Act. The proposed legislation also seeks to empower the minister to amend fines under the Act, by order...

KINGSTON — Refurbishing work at Gordon House should be completed on December 1 to facilitate resumption of Parliamentary sittings at the Duke Street location. This was disclosed by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tarn Peralto, during Tuesday's sitting of the Lower House at the Jamaica Conference Centre. "The information that I have presently is that (the contractors) are...

KINGSTON — Come mid-November, Jamaica will be activating new emergency numbers in harmony with other countries around the globe. This move will see Jamaica being the first country in the English-speaking Caribbean to activate the new Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR)-spearheaded International Telecommunications Union (ITU) recommendation towards the global harmonisation of emergency numbers.  The recommendation means that the numbers to...

KINGSTON — Member of Parliament for South West St. Catherine, Everald Warmington, is recommending that the time for voting at polling stations be extended by two hours. Mr. Warmington was opening the debate on a Motion dealing with matter, in the House of Representatives on November 1, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston. The Motion called for Section 33...

KINGSTON — Member of Parliament (MP) for South Central St. Catherine, Sharon Hay-Webster, has switched from the Opposition to the Government benches in Parliament. She has also informed the Lower House that she has renounced her United States of America (USA) citizenship. Mrs. Hay-Webster crossed the floor during Tuesday’s (November 1) sitting of the House of Representatives, which is temporarily...