In anticipation of a greater demand for passports following an announced price increase the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) has adopted measures to ensure that its customers are properly served. Between Monday May 18 and Friday, May 22 the Agency will only receive applications from customers whose passports have expired or will expire in 6 months or less as...

The Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) wishes to announce new passport fees as well and the introduction of expedited services, effective June 01, 2015 as given in Gazette Notice No 25B dated April 20, 2015. The current passport fee was introduced in 2009 and the new fee seeks to cover inflation and the movement in the exchange rate over...

A 60-member delegation from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) joined forces with representatives of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP), on May 13, to carry out a number of community outreach projects in six inner-city communities in St. James. The projects were undertaken in the CSJP-adopted communities of Granville, Mount Salem, Farm Heights, Canterbury, Salt Spring and Glendevon and...

The United Nations Security Council Affairs Division (SCAD) has approved the nomination of Mr. O'Neil Hamilton to its Roster of Experts which advises the United Nations Security Council. Mr. Hamilton, who was nominated by the Government of Jamaica, is the first such nominee from a CARICOM Member State with a focus on non-proliferation and terrorism and joins a roster of...

The Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) will be offering a three-day passport service at the 6th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference from June 13 to 18, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, in St. James. “Because it is a short week... if someone comes on Monday they can get back their passport on Wednesday; though our standard service is for...

National Security Minister, Hon. Peter Bunting, says amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act, resulting in decriminalization of specified quantities of ganja, are “most fundamental and far-reaching.” He underscored this point while addressing a community meeting in Orange Hill, Western Westmoreland, on May 8, to discuss the provisions of the new ganja legislation. Mr. Bunting noted that for “decades”, the possession...

A police post will be established at the Spanish Town bus park as part of long-term measures to address crime in the area, including extortion by criminal gangs. National Security Minister, Hon. Peter Bunting, made the disclosure on May 7, during a tour of the St. Catherine North Police Division. He said the move came out of a meeting with...