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The House of Representatives on Tuesday (Sept. 15) approved the Sexual Offences Bill, with the 28 amendments that were made by the Senate in July. The Bill, which was tabled in the House earlier this year, and was lengthily debated, reforms and amalgamates the various laws relating to rape, incest and other sexual offences, and will repeal the Incest (Punishment)...

Cabinet, on the recommendations of the National Contracts Committee and its Infrastructure Subcommittee, has approved the award of a contract for the renovation and extension of the Nain Basic School and construction of the St. Elizabeth Early Childhood Resource Centre to A1 Construction Company in the sum of $72,596,470. The contract award is subject to the signing of a lease...

Cabinet has approved amendments to the cyber crimes legislation to provide for sanctions against persons, who use electronic data to commit criminal acts. The Bill has been drafted in response to the various crimes, largely attributed to the use of computer technology and the electronic environment of the Internet, Minister with Responsibility for Information and Telecommunications, Hon. Daryl Vaz, told...

Cabinet has approved a number of incentives to revitalise business in downtown, Kingston, under the Urban Renewal Tax Relief Act. Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Information and Telecommunications, Hon. Daryl Vaz, who gave details of the measures at yesterday's (Sept. 9) post-Cabinet press briefing, at Jamaica House, said the amendment to the...

Cabinet has given approval for an amendment to the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act regulations to allow for the introduction of sports betting and the payment of a 9 per cent gross profit tax on sports betting offered by licensees. This will allow bookmakers to pay a total gross profit tax of 16.5 per cent. The decision was announced by...

Members of the Senate, yesterday (July 31), paid tribute to the late Lady Gladys Bustamante, widow of National Hero, The Rt. Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante. Lady Bustamante who died on Saturday, July 25, at the age of 97, will be accorded an official funeral on Saturday, August 8. In her remarks, Minister of Justice and Leader of Government Business in...

Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding yesterday, (July 29), led Parliament in paying tribute to Lady Bustamante who died on Saturday July 25. In his half-hour address, the Prime Minister spoke about her birth in Westmoreland and her desire to be a trained professional, which led her to become a secretary administrator and then a devoted and hardworking champion of...

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Karl Samuda, has described Lady Bustamante as a quiet, but focussed individual. In his tribute in Parliament earlier this week, he said: "She was devoted to the ideals that she fought for with Sir Alexander Bustamante. Lady Bustamante was perhaps one of the calmest persons I've known. Even when she gave expressions of...

Parliamentarians conveyed condolences to Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, and his family, on the passing of his mother, Ruby Blake, during Tuesday's (July 28) sitting of the House of Representatives. Ms. Blake, a retired civil servant, who worked with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security for more than 30 years, passed away on July 23 in...

Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South Eastern, Franklyn Witter, has said that despite the global recession, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has helped to make several improvements to his constituency over the last 12 months. Making his contribution to the 2009/10 Sectoral Debate in Gordon House on July 29, Mr. Witter said that through the Fund, several communities, previously...

The House of Representatives paid tribute to the late Lady Gladys Bustamante, widow of National Hero, The Rt. Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante, Wednesday (July 29). Lady Bustamante died at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) on Saturday (July 25). She will be accorded an official funeral by the Government of Jamaica. The service will be at the Sts....

The Government will work even harder next year to build communities and change lives through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for the CDF, Hon. Shahine Robinson, gave this assurance in her contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Gordon House yesterday (July 28). Mrs. Robinson said that to accomplish...