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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 Phillip Paulwell, explained that of the $1.938 billion being withdrawn, $1.786 billion is for payments into the Consolidated Fund to provide budgetary support for the fiscal year...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...

The House of Representatives on March 6 approved the second Supplementary Estimates for the financial year 2011/12. The new budget reflects total government expenditure of $525.2 billion for the remainder of the current fiscal year from the previous $546.7 billion with spending cut by approximately $22.4 billion The estimates show a decrease in the recurrent (housekeeping) expenditure from $356.4 billion...

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, says the Government has drafted a policy relating to gifts and donations, to enhance the mobilisation of resources for the health sector, particularly from charitable organisations. "We have drafted the policy on gifts and donations to ensure an effective system of accepting, documenting and distributing all resources mobilised for the health sector; and...

Sixty Two of the 63  Members of Parliament (MPs) who won their seats in the General Election on December 29, 2011, were sworn in today (January 17), at the opening of the new session of Parliament, at Gordon House. Absent was Member of Parliament for Southern Trelawny, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert. During the ceremony, Member of Parliament for South Manchester, Michael Peart,...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, says the top priority of her new administration is to work tirelessly to stimulate economic growth, in order to create jobs and further national development. Speaking at the swearing in of the ministers of the new government at King's House on Friday (January 6), the Prime Minister described the Cabinet as a...

KINGSTON — Workers desirous of casting their ballots on Election Day (December 29) are allotted time off from work to do so under the Representation of the People (Leave and Symbols) Regulations, 1944. They are allowed three hours, in addition to the normal meal hour, for voting purposes on a national and local election day. Speaking in an interview with...