Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has announced the allocation of an additional of $60 million to assist Municipal Corporations with improving emergency shelter accommodations across the island. He made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (June 3). Mr. McKenzie said the allocation will assist...

The Government will invest $200 million this year to expand capacity at care facilities, thereby easing overcrowding and freeing up bed space. Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, explained that the issue of social cases occupying hospital beds has been long-standing. He noted that a special effort will be made this year to address the matter...

The requirement that buildings must be constructed to withstand Category Five hurricanes is a critical feature of the revised Building Code. Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, said the revised Building Code will be rolled out in this financial year. “There will also be stronger enforcement powers for Municipal Corporations, mandatory compliance checks, and stricter penalties for...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has announced a $35 million renovation project for the Marie Atkins Night Shelter downtown Kingston this financial year. The project is the latest in a series of initiatives by Government to strengthen services for the homeless population. “Over the last decade, we have been building a growing number of drop-in...

The National AI (artificial intelligence) Task Force is to develop a National AI Draft Policy by November 2026. Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 2....

Measures are being taken to ensure that enforcement provisions of the Data Protection Act will be fully activated and to further place the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) on a path to becoming a technically capable, enforcement-ready national data protection authority. The Data Protection Act, passed in 2020, established the framework for how personal data in Jamaica is collected,...

The Jamaica Cybersecurity Standards Framework, aligned with the internationally recognised NIST framework, is now complete. Minister Without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Special Projects, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, disclosed this during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 2). Dr. Wheatley also informed...