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KINGSTON – Parliament passed the long delayed Charter of Rights Bill, which aims to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of Jamaican citizens, at Gordon House on Tuesday March 22. The Bill replaces chapter three of the Jamaican Constitution. It received 51 votes from the Members of Parliament (MPs), including the Speaker, the Hon Delroy Chuck. Eight MPs were absent....

KINGSTON – Prime Minister, the Hon Bruce Golding, says that Parliament will vote next Tuesday March 22 on the long delayed Charter of Rights Bill, which aims to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of Jamaican citizens. The Bill provides for the protection of the rights and freedoms of individuals, subject to such measures as are required for state governance...

KINGSTON – Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Project, Hon. Daryl Vaz, has informed that Cabinet has approved the recommendations of the Sugar Industry Commission of Enquiry. The Commission looked into and reported on the relevance of the current institutional, regulatory and pricing arrangements in the sugar industry. Speaking on March 16 post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House,...

KINGSTON – Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, closed the debate on the Corruption Prevention (Special Prosecutor) Act in the House of Representatives on March 15, which will strengthen the Government’s efforts in the fight against corruption. With some three years since the bill was first tabled in Parliament, the Prime Minister said, “it has been a long journey, perhaps...

KINGSTON – Cabinet has approved two contracts valued at more than $80 million for the provision of maintenance services at Petrojam’s facilities and for the construction of a well under the National Irrigation Development Programme. This was disclosed by Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, yesterday March 16 post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House....

KINGSTON – Cabinet has approved two contracts, valued at over $1.54 billion, for the construction of housing solutions at Stadium Gardens Phase 3 in Kingston, and the Hellshire Housing Development Phase IV, St. Catherine. This was disclosed by Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, at Wednesday’s March 16 Post Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica...

KINGSTON – Minister of Finance and the Public Service, the Hon Audley Shaw, tabled the Second Supplementary Estimates in the House of Representatives Tuesday March 15, shaving approximately $6 billion off the old budget. The cuts have reduced the 2010/11 budget from $503.7 billion to $497.3 billion. In the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service some $3 billion were...

The House of Representatives has approved Government's withdrawal of $78.9 billion from the Consolidated Fund, to continue the country’s business from April 1 to July 31, by which time it is expected that the 2011/2012 budget would have been approved. Piloting the resolution on Tuesday March 15, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon Audley Shaw, explained that $69.2...

KINGSTON - The National Parenting Policy was tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday May 8, as Government continues to make good on its commitment to create an enabling environment that is supportive of parents. In his message in the document, Minister of Education, Hon. Andrew Holness, said that through the policy, and the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC),...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon Audley Shaw, has said that, although the government has not made a formal pronouncement on the rationalization of the public sector, the recommendations of the transformation team are being worked on. “In some areas where the recommendations are pretty straight forward and practical, work is already being done to begin the process,”...

A Bill dealing with work exemption permits for CARICOM nationals who wish to work in Jamaica, was tabled in the House of Representatives on March 1. Piloted by Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles, the Bill seeks to  amend the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens (Employment) Act and Regulations to allow designated categories of workers from CARICOM ...

Regulations to improve accountability and provide a regulatory framework for Government’s executive agencies were approved in the Senate, Friday (March 4). Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, who moved the resolution - the Executive Agencies (General) Regulations Resolutions 2010- said that there was a need for regulations to effect the provisions and purposes of the Executive Agencies...