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The Senate has approved a Bill to provide for the collection of a Tourism Enhancement Fee, to be paid by incoming airline and cruise ship passengers. Tabling the Bill at last Friday's (November 26) sitting of the Senate, Leader of Government Business and Information Minister, Burchell Whiteman pointed out that the fee would be collected by commercial or private carriers,...

A Bill to amend the Offences Against the Person Act was passed in the Senate last Friday (Nov. 26) to remove the mandatory death sentence for capital murder. Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Senator A. J. Nicholson, who piloted the legislation, which was passed with two amendments, explained that the intention was not to abolish the death penalty but...

Legislation to provide for the protection of consumer rights was passed in the Senate on Friday (Nov.19) but only after lengthy deliberations, which resulted in 25 amendments to the Act. Leader of Government Business, Senator Burchell Whiteman, piloted the Bill titled 'The Consumer Protection Act 2004', which seeks to provide for the promotion and protection of consumer interests in relation...

In order to adequately prepare accountants for the implementation of the Companies Act 2004 in January, the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) will participate in a seminar to be hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Jamaica (ICAJ) this Saturday, October 30 at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston. The seminar is just one of several such...

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Senator A.J. Nicholson has said that amendments to the Domestic Violence Amendment Act, which was passed in the Senate on Friday, October 15, contained features, which would expand and in some instances, clarify the application of the Domestic Violence Act of 1995. The Bill provides for, among other things the widening of the categories of...

The Government has presented a net budget of $328.15 billion for Financial Year 2004/05, to cover its Recurrent (house-keeping) and Capital (development) expenses. This sum is based on projections in the 2004/05 Estimates of Expenditure, which were tabled in the House of Representatives today (March 31) by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies. Broken down, the figures reveal...

A sum of $14 million has been allocated to the Livestock Research and Improvement programme in the Ministry of Agriculture. The funds, which have been earmarked in the 2004/05 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives today (March 31), are focused on improving livestock and animal products. The allocation is for five sub-projects, including the Feeds Research and...

The Senate on March 18, approved a Bill to repeal the Caribbean Community and Common Market Act to make new provisions to implement the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas as the constituent legal instrument of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). Providing background to the revised Treaty, State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Delano...

The Senate approved amendments to the Income Tax Act on Thursday (March 18) in order to increase the fines and penalties payable under the Act to more realistic levels and to empower the Minister, subject to affirmative resolution of the House of Representatives, to increase or otherwise vary all fines and penalties under the Act. Supporting the Bill, Government Senator...

The Senate yesterday (March 18) agreed to amendments to the Customs Act to increase the fines and penalties payable under the law to bring them to more realistic levels in keeping with the value of money and to empower the Finance and Planning Minister, subject to affirmative resolution of the House of Representatives, to amend or vary any penalty or...

A Bill titled An Act to Repeal and Replace the Companies Act was passed on Thursday (March 5) in the Senate. The Bill will employ more stringent measures to make directors and other such persons who are entrusted with the proper operations of companies, more accountable for the actions of these entities. "The law recognizes that a company is an...

Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies yesterday (March 2) tabled the first supplementary estimates in the House of Representatives for the 2003/2004 fiscal year. The estimates, totalling $17.46 billion has recurrent expenses of $14.43 billion and capital expenditure amounting to $3.02 billion. Under recurrent expenses in the revised estimates, the Office of the Services Commission is to receive a...