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As the economy continues to struggle with high electricity costs, citizens are finding it increasingly challenging to pay for the service, resulting in frequent disconnections for many, and payment backlogs. It is against this background that the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC) has embarked on an Energy Service Company (ESCO) Project, in an effort to conserve on electricity use across the...

Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, says a working group, comprising several ministry and agency representatives, has been established to assist in guiding the formation of the central government-wide communications network, dubbed GOVNET. The initiative aims, among other things, to realize significant savings in the public sector through the use of a communications and data background platform....

Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, says significant strides have been made in efforts to transform the manner in which government and, by extension, the public sector functions and delivers services, through the incorporation of information and communication technology (ICT). Speaking at the inaugural Government Forum hosted by telecommunications firm, LIME, at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel on...

JPS is reporting that it has significantly reduced the number of customers without power in the last two days. About 24,000 customers were brought onto the grid since Monday, leaving approximately 36,000 customers without power at the end of restoration efforts Tuesday night.The majority of these customers are in the parishes of Portland and St Mary, where JPS faces challenges...

The operations and activities of the nation's Parliament are one step closer to being transformed, through the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, has disclosed that the Ministry has received a formal submission and accompanying budget from the Clerk of the Houses of Parliament for the project’s consideration. The Minister...

The island’s two major utility companies, the National Water Commission (NWC) and Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), will be continuing restoration activities over the weekend, in an effort to return water and electricity to customers, affected by the passage of Hurricane Sandy. Vice President of the NWC, David Geddes, told JIS News today (Oct. 26), that  approximately 55 per cent...

JPS has now restored power supply to more than two-thirds of its customers, and is making every effort to get most back on the grid before the end of the day.  Below are some of the areas in which the Company’s restoration teams are working to restore power to customers today. KINGSTON & ST ANDREW o   Sections of New Kingston...

The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ), today (Oct 23), launched its upgraded Document Processing Management Information System (DPMIS), which allows for the automated registration of all company documents. DPMIS II, which takes effect on October 29, is being introduced some five years after the facility was originally implemented. Speaking at the launching ceremony, at JAMPRO's Trafalgar Road offices in New...

  Minister of State for Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (STEM), Hon. Julian Robinson, is urging operators within the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) sector to make use of technology to advance their businesses. He said that “in order for small businesses to succeed, it is necessary that technology is included in plans going forward”. The use of technology...

The University of Technology (UTech) has launched a research project, aimed at developing a commercially viable hydrogen gas to be used as ‘regular’ cooking gas by householders across the island. “The research focuses on the production of hydrogen gas from water. The hydrogen will be used for cooking. The idea is to provide an affordable substitute to LPG cooking gas,...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Hon. Horace Dalley, says there ought to be linkages in the data collection system, which would ensure that all persons  pay their taxes. “We have to reach a stage in our country, in a modern economy, in a modern country, where everyone pays (his or her) fair share,” the Minster...

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (STEM), Hon. Phillip Paulwell, is urging small and medium sized enterprises to take advantage of the energy management loan facility being offered by the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ). The DBJ/PetroCaribe (SMEs) Energy Fund allows SMEs to access loans of up to $30 million at a rate of 7.5 per cent to retrofit...