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Transport and Works Minister, Hon. Mike Henry, has called for swift and decisive action to contain infringements by scrap metal seekers which, he said, were having a severe negative impact on the construction sector. Mr. Henry, in adding his voice to concerns raised by his counterpart, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, regarding the impact of scrap metal pilfering on sugar...

Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, has said that while the upgrading of the Petrojam refinery is proving costly, it is critical to improving the country's capacity to meet domestic requirements for refined petroleum products. Mr. Golding, who was making his contribution to the 2010/11 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives Tuesday (April 20), said that the "capital costs"...

Opposition Spokesperson on Energy, Information and Communication Technologies, Mr. Phillip Paulwell, is urging the Government to begin negotiations with the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) to fast track the process of liberalising the electrical grid. "This will provide greater meaning and benefit to the public and complete the process of .liberalisation of generation," Mr. Paulwell said in his contribution to the...

Opposition Spokesperson on Energy, Information and Communication Technology, Mr. Phillip Paulwell, has urged the Government to finalise a policy for the micro and small business enterprises. "It is our hope that the policy is indeed progressive and that it recognises the importance of these sectors. It must address all issues, including access to a range of financial services, the legal...

Wind turbines, which will be installed under a multi-million dollar expansion programme at the Wigton Windfarm in Manchester, are being offloaded at Port Esquivel, in St. Catherine. The wind turbines arrived aboard the ship, BBC Mississippi, on Sunday, April 4. Minister of Energy and Mining, Hon. James Robertson, was on hand to witness the arrival. Minister of Energy and Mining,...

The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), through its Consumer and Public Affairs Division, is currently engaged in a project to develop Quality of Service standards for the telecommunications sector. This disclosure was made by Director of Consumer and Public Affairs at the OUR, Mr. Michael Bryce, at the first in a series of quarterly media briefings, held at the Knutsford...

Work to establish the Central Treasury Management System (CTMS) is advanced, with the appointment of a coordinator and the setting up of a working committee to get the system operational by December 2010. This was disclosed by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw as he opened the 2010/11 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives today...

A new computer laboratory was opened at the Christiana Moravian Primary School, in Manchester, on March 31. It has been named in honour of the late past student and Jamalco engineer, Mr. Kirk Rattray. The laboratory contains some 28 computers, and construction was made possible through the Ministry of Education, donations from the Rattray family, and other persons. At the...

A project aimed at developing a technologically driven and modern agricultural sector has been allocated $66.3 million for the 2010/11 financial year. This is outlined in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. As stated under the Improving Jamaica's Agricultural Productivity Project, the objectives are to increase productivity and sustain production and marketing of...

The Government will be exploring 22 new wind energy sites, to add wind generated electricity to the existing Wigton Windfarm 1, and the soon to be completed US $49 million Wigton 2, in Southern Manchester. Through an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) grant of over US$700,000, sites will be researched for their commercial viability and, if viable, they will be developed...

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce has been allocated $20 million in the 2010/11 Estimates of Expenditure, to facilitate the establishment of a central facility at Lakes Pen, St. Catherine, for the storage and container loading of scrap metal. While the export of scrap metal reportedly earned the country some US$13.3 million in 2005, and US$99.5 million in 2006,...

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Project has been allocated $36.8 million in the 2010/2011 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before the House of Representatives. Funded by the Government of Jamaica and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the project, which began in August 2009, aims to support the government in its effort to improve energy efficiency and provide technical assistance to prepare...