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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....

The Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, has announced the following changes to the Cabinet: Senator the Hon. Dwight Nelson Minister of National Security Hon. James Robertson, M.P. Minister of Energy and Mining Hon. Olivia Grange, M.P. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Hon. Daryl Vaz M.P.Minister without Portfolio (Office of the Prime Minister) The subjects of Information and Telecommunications...

Debate on a Bill to amend the Financial Administration and Audit Act(FAAA) to make the appointment of audit committees in Government departments mandatory, and to establish an Audit Commission to ensure their effectiveness, was suspended in the Senate Friday (April 3). Minister of Justice and Leader of Government Business, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, suspended the debate to allow the Senate time...

The House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 31), approved a Government guarantee of US$2.75 million, of a loan of US$5.5 million to the University of the West Indies (UWI), to partially finance the construction of a Vice Chancellery building on lands adjacent to the Mona Campus. According to a Ministry Paper, which was tabled in the Lower House, the Vice...

The Sexual Offences Act 2009 was passed today (March 31) in the House of Representatives. The Act is an amalgamation of various laws relating to rape, incest and other sexual offences. It will repeal the Incest (Punishment) Act and several provisions of the Offences Against the Person Act. The Bill also provides for the establishment of a Sex Offenders Registry,...

Daryl Vaz was sworn in Tuesday (March 31), at Gordon House, as the Member of Parliament(MP) for West Portland, following his success in last week Monday's by-election in the constituency. Mr. Vaz won the by-election by scoring 7,915 votes to defeat the People's National Party's (PNP) candidate, Kenneth Rowe, who polled 5,626, and retained the seat he had won in...

A Bill to amend the Constitution, to increase the maximum number of constituencies from 60 to 65, was passed in the Senate on Friday (March 27). Minister of Justice and Leader of Government Business, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, who piloted the Bill, said that the country's electoral population has grown tremendously, with approximately 1.3 million persons registered to vote. She informed...