The House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 11) approved the Public Procurement (Registration and Classification of Suppliers) Regulations, 2019. Piloted by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, the Regulations are critical to the operationalisation of the reformed public procurement landscape. In his address, Dr. Clarke said the Regulations will fully enable the Public Procurement...

Government Senator, Robert Morgan, says the Administration continues to prioritise the interests of the disabled community, especially in the development of infrastructure projects. He was responding to a motion moved by Opposition Senator Dr. Floyd Morris, during the sitting of the Senate last week, for Government to ensure that disabled persons have greater access to Gordon House and the new...

The Information and Communications Technology Authority Act, which seeks to improve the use of technology across Government, was passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 11). The Bill, which was piloted by Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, establishes the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Authority. In her address, Mrs. Williams noted that the ICT...

Debate on the Trust Act 2019, which seeks to provide a modern legal framework for the governance of Trusts, opened during Friday’s (June 7) sitting of the Senate. Leader of Government Business, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, who piloted the Bill, pointed out that regulation of the conduct of Trustees is governed by the 1897 Trustee Act, which she...

Debate on the Tourism Workers Pension Bill, which seeks to establish a defined contribution pension scheme for tourism workers, began in the House of Representatives on May 22. The legislation was piloted by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. In his address, Mr. Bartlett said the pension scheme will require mandatory contributions by workers and employers. “The plan will cover...

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, is reporting that there has been a consistent reduction of the criminal case backlog over the past three to four years. “On December 31, 2016, there was a backlog of 30,667 criminal cases in the parish courts. As at the end of Fiscal Year 2018/2019, some 12,399 of these cases had been cleared. This...

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, says 757 net billing licences have been issued to Jamaicans since the pilot programme in May 2012. Making her contribution to the 2019/20 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 14, the Minister noted that in the 13 weeks since she has been appointed in the new post, she...