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Governor General His Excellency the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen has signed off on the regulations that will govern the current period of public emergency that was declared Sunday May 23. The Jamaican Constitution requires that once a state of emergency is imposed, regulations be published detailing the powers of the authorities and the restrictions that apply to citizens. The...

At its May 3 meeting, Cabinet approved a proposal from the state-owned refinery, Petrojam Limited, to grant haulage contractors an interim rate increase, using the current rates paid by PETCOM as a basis. Minister of Information with Responsibility for Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, informed journalists at today's (May 12) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, that Cabinet...

Industry, Investment and Commerce, issues crucial to Jamaica's economic recovery and the Government's growth targets, will be highlighted when portfolio Minister, Hon Karl Samuda, opens the 2010/11 Sectoral Debate at Gordon House on Tuesday afternoon (May 11). The Sectoral Debate is considered the most important annual exercise in the House of Representatives, after the Ceremonial Opening and the Budget Debate....

The Senate on Friday (April 23) passed the Appropriation Bill, giving approval to the Government's estimated expenditure of $503.9 billion for the financial year 2010/11. The Bill, piloted by Leader of Government Business and Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, was approved by the House of Representatives on April 21. When broken down, the figures show that...

The Cabinet has given approval for the divestment of Air Jamaica to Caribbean Airlines effective Friday (April 30). Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, made the announcement following the Cabinet meeting at Jamaica House on Tuesday (April 27). Mr. Shaw told JIS News that the Chairman of Air Jamaica, Hon. Dennis Lalor, who is also Chairman...

Cabinet has approved a contract valued at $606,807,345, to Bill Wright Construction Company Limited, to undertake civil infrastructure works at Perth Housing Development phase one in Manchester. Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, made the disclosure during the weekly post Cabinet press briefing held on Wednesday (April 21) at Jamaica House. The Information Minister...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has said that Cabinet will meet soon to consider the proposal to introduce a flat tax for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The Minister, who was closing the 2010/11 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives today (April 21), said that the move aims to address concerns regarding the...

The Government intends to renew its efforts to strengthen bilateral co-operation with the United States, with a view to addressing the flow of illegal guns from that country to Jamaica, Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, has announced. Mr. Golding, who was making his contribution to the 2010/11 Budget Debate in the House, today (April 20), pointed out that the...

The Government has entered into an agreement with Chinese firm, Zhuhai Hong Fan, for the sale of Clarendon Alumina Production (CAP) Limited. CAP Limited was created in April, 1985 to represent the Government's 45 per cent interest in a joint venture agreement with Alcoa in the bauxite mining and alumina refining operations at Jamalco in Halse Hall, Clarendon. This was...

The Government's implementation of the Public Sector Modernisation Programme (II) will, this year, be enhanced through a $335.5 million allocation in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the House of Representatives. The project, being implemented through the Cabinet Office, is aimed at: enabling ministries, departments and agencies to develop and deliver high quality integrated service programmes, meeting customer/client needs;...

Almost $11 million has been set aside in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure to facilitate the continuation of a Household Expenditure Survey by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN). The project initially ran between November 2004 and December, 2008 contributing to an enhanced process of economic and social decision making. It guarantees implementation of an updated model for compilation of...

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has been allocated some $2.35 billion in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives, to facilitate continuation of a number of the Government's social intervention projects and activities. To this end, JSIF, since its implementation in 1996, has targetted responses to the needs of some of the society's most vulnerable...