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KINGSTON — The Government's  capacity to reduce the cultivation, production and trafficking of illicit drugs is to be improved this year, with funding support from the US Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. A sum of $202 million has been allocated in the 2011/12 Estimates of  Expenditure to achieve those  objectives,  underthe Caribbean Basin Security...

Cabinet has approved Jamaica's accession to the Second Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, speaking on April 21 post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, said that the Optional Protocol, which is one of...

KINGSTON — The Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Local Offenders Deported Persons programme has received more support with an allocation of $80 million in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The major objectives of the programme, which began in November 2008, are to significantly improve the reintegration of Jamaican nationals, who have been deported from the United...

KINGSTON — Activities under the Public Sector Modernisation Programme (PSMP) II should be significantly enhanced this year through a $4.6 billion provision, set aside in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. The project, being implemented by the Office of the Cabinet, aims to enable government Ministries, departments and agencies to develop and deliver high quality...

KINGSTON — Jamaica's effort to increase and sustain production of high quality marine products is being enhanced through a $138 million allocation to the Improving Jamaica’s Agricultural Productivity Project (Marine/Environment). The project seeks to enhance the environment stewardship and management of marine resources by a strengthened cadre of fishers and fisher organisations. As set out in the 2011/12 Estimates of...

KINGSTON — Some $21 million has been allotted to the Animal Breeding and Husbandry project in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the House of Representatives. The project is concerned with research activities focusing on improving the quality of livestock and animal products. The bulk of the figure, $6.9 million will go towards the Cattle Rescue Programme which seeks...

KINGSTON — The Youth Development Programme, which facilitates the transition of unattached youth to adulthood and the world of work, through training, on the job experience, information dissemination, labour intermediation services and sector management have been boosted by an allocation of $205 million in the 2011/12 Budget. Up to February 2011, the programme had achieved procurement of consultants for three...

KINGSTON — The Government will continue to collaborate with the United Nation’s International Children’s Educational Fund (UNICEF) to increase youth access to quality information, skills and services to reduce the risk of HIV infection in 2011/12. The effort will be financed through an allocation of $16.7 million to the Youth Empowerment and Participation Programme in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure,...

KINGSTON — To achieve an effective transition to a sustainable sugar cane industry, the Government has allocated just over $2 billion for the Sugar Transformation Project in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. As stated in the Estimates, the project aims to develop a sustainable private sector- led sugar cane industry by 2015;...

KINGSTON — The Jamaica Economical Housing Project has received $1.5 billion in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure to upgrade infrastructure (water, sewerage and roads) in the rural communities of St. Ann and St. Elizabeth. Other objectives of the project,  as outlined in the Estimates, now before the House, include: alleviating the deficit of housing solutions in St. Ann, by providing...

KINGSTON — A sum of $46.85 million has been allocated in the 2011/12 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives, to improve the operations of the School Feeding Programme. The programme, which started in July 2010 through funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Jamaica, is a...

KINGSTON — The Government has earmarked $24.3 million for the development of a comprehensive multi-hazard disaster management plan for towns and cities under the Natural Hazard Management in Urban Coastal Areas project. The project, which got underway in April 2008, seeks to strengthen the parish response capacity through comprehensive disaster management training, public education, and awareness; and provide technical assistance...