The Houses of Parliament will this week host an inter-parliamentary conference aimed at combating the illegal weapons trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Conference is being held from June 25-26, 2015 at the Jamaica Pegasus under the theme “Enhance ATT and UNPoA Implementation by South-South Parliamentary Exchange and Cooperation” and will see participation from parliamentarians from Latin America...

The Senate, on Friday (June 12), approved a motion for a comprehensive review of the Co-operative Societies Act to, among other things, provide the stimulus and the supportive framework for the growth of small and medium-sized farm enterprises. The motion, moved by Senator Norman Grant, also seeks to remove the restriction on legal entities becoming members of cooperatives and provide...

Debate on the Administrator-General’s (Amendment) Bill, which aims to speed up the estate administration process in Jamaica, started in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 19. The Bill seeks to amend the Administrator-General’s Act to establish a framework for the Administrator-General (AG) to efficiently administer multi-generational estates and intestate estates (where the owner dies without leaving a valid will)...

Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, says the new format for shorter Budget and Sectoral Debate presentations, which was introduced this year, has worked well. The new format saw Government Ministers’ presentations being limited to 45 minutes, with 30 minutes allocated for Opposition Spokespersons. Delivering the closing 2015/16 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives, on Wednesday...

The Japanese Government is providing funding of US$482,000 to enhance the technological capacity of the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ). Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna, said the funding will go towards a number of initiatives, including the building of a world-class technology-driven natural history exhibition gallery at the Natural History Museum. The Minister, who was making her contribution...

The Ministry of Youth and Culture is working to improve the services offered to youth, to increase their engagement in society. Through the establishment of two Youth Information Centres (YICs) in Hanover and Spanish Town, St. Catherine, the Ministry aims to place greater emphasis on engaging at-risk youth, which include unattached and out-of-school youth with maladaptive behaviours, and delinquent youth...

The Ministry of Youth and Culture is spearheading the development of a National Plan of Action for an Integrated Response to Children and Violence (NPACV). Portfolio Minister, Hon. Lisa Hanna, made the announcement during her contribution to the 2015/16 Sectoral debate in the House of Representatives on May 6. She said the NPACV, which will be implemented during the course...

The Ministry of Health will be spending some $460 million to undertake work at 12 secondary care facilities across the island during the current fiscal year. The allocation will go towards further expansion of the Linstead Hospital in St. Catherine and the Princess Margaret Hospital in St. Thomas, among others. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, made the announcement on...