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A total of $268 million has been allocated to the Forestry and Wildlife Programme in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. As stated in the 2009/10 Estimates of Expenditure now before the House of Representatives, the objective of this programme is to rehabilitate, protect and manage the national forest resources, estimated at 110,000 hectares or 10 per cent of the...

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, on Monday April 6, announced several changes to the executive arm of his 19-month old administration. The announcement, which was made a day before the State Opening of Parliament, sees the complement of Cabinet Ministers, being reduced by two to now stand at 17, following the resignation of three members, and one promotion. The move also...

The Government will be spending over $55 million, this fiscal year, from two European Union (EU) funded programmes aimed at reducing poverty. The Poverty Reduction Programme II (Capacity Building and Training for Communities) has $51 million to alleviate poverty through sustainable growth, with emphasis on the promotion of community safety and the reduction of criminal behaviour in volatile and vulnerable...

A total of $7.1 million has been allocated to the Institutionalisation of DevInfo project, in the 2009/10 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. The project, which is being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), aims to establish Jamstats as a reliable and comprehensive source of macro indicators for Jamaica, in order to facilitate...

The Government's effort at consolidating the social safety net reform programme, through the Social Protection Support to Food Price Crisis project, has been bolstered by a $612.8 million allocation, in the 2009/10 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the House of Representatives. This project, which commenced in January and will last until January 2011, aims to underpin the administration's strategy to...

Some $149 million has been allocated to enhance the irrigation management systems, for agricultural production and farmer outputs. This is outlined in the 2009/10 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the House of Representatives. During the fiscal year, the National Irrigation Development Project will continue the training of Water User Association members, to strengthen the organisations; commence drilling of wells in...

The 2009/2010 session of Parliament commenced at Gordon House on April 7, with much pomp and ceremony, highlighted by the delivery of the Throne Speech by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Dr. Patrick Allen. From as early as 10:00 a.m., a large crowd of well-wishers lined Duke Street to view the proceedings, and offered sporadic cheers at the arrival...

A total of $87.6 million has been allocated to the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Project in the Office of the Prime Minister for the current fiscal year. As stated in the 2009/10 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives, the allocation will go towards the procurement of equipment to support e-government services and the training...

A provision of $2.4 billion has been allocated for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's Social Protection Project, in the 2009/10 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the House of Representatives. The project, which is being financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), will underpin the Government's efforts to strengthening its social protection system by: further improving...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, on Tuesday, April 7 tabled estimates for Government's expenditure of $547.7 billion (net) during the fiscal year, 2009/2010, in the House of Representatives. The proposed expenditures add up to a gross of $550.8 billion over the 12 months but, reduced by $3.1 billion in savings or appropriations in aid (daily revenues),...

The ceremonial opening of Jamaica's Parliament for the 2009/2010 Session will take place at Gordon House, Duke Street, downtown Kingston, this morning at eleven. Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Dr. Patrick Allen, will deliver his first Throne Speech since his installation in February, after inspecting the Guard of Honour formed by the Jamaica Defence Force(JDF) on Duke Street....

The Senate on Friday (April 3) passed the Conch (Export Levy) Act, which, when enacted, will allow the Government to impose a duty on conch intended for the overseas market. Exporters of conch will be required to pay US75 cents per pound of conch during the 2009 season and the levy will be increased to US$1.00 per pound in 2010....