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Some 56 students from 28 Primary and All-age schools in Manchester and St. Elizabeth, are the recipients of awards by Region Five of the Ministry of Education, for exemplary literacy skills. At the ceremony, which was held at the Mandeville Baptist Church on September 23, Literacy Specialist with the Ministry of Education, Millicent Bernard-James, said literacy is one of greatest...

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), has received a cheque for US$20,737, from the Organisation of American States (OAS), to assist with the post-Tropical Storm Gustav recovery effort. At the handing over ceremony today (September 29), held at OAS Jamaica Office in Kingston, OAS representative, Dr. Joan Neil, informed that the contribution was due to the collaborative...

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Carol Palmer, has called on Justices of the Peace (JPs), to take full advantage of training that is currently being offered by the Ministry. Delivering the main address at the recent Annual General Meeting of the St. Elizabeth chapter of the Lay Magistrates Association, held in Santa Cruz, she said that justice would...

Conservator of Forests, Marilyn Headley, has pointed out that most land slippage as a result of Tropical Storm Gustav, occurred in deforested areas. "There was little damage to trees," she said in an interview with JIS News. "There was mainly land slippage and damage to infrastructure, and areas with good tree cover had the least damage," she pointed out adding...

For small developing countries like Jamaica and most other Caribbean islands the cost of repairs after natural disasters, which have been compounded by climate change, can negatively impact development. This view was expressed by Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, on Friday (September 26), the eve of World Tourism Day, while he was addressing a seminar and exhibition at the Ritz...

Managing Director of the Water Resources Authority (WRA), Basil Fernandez, has expressed the view that Jamaica's water quality is among the best in the world. "You have to remember that our water is not tainted by some of the pharmaceuticals and chemicals found in the water in some countries," he told JIS News. "Many cruise ships that visit Jamaica and...

Plans have been far advanced by the Ministry of Agriculture, for the establishment of some eight fishing sanctuaries across Jamaica, in an effort to ensure the sustainability and viability of the industry. Speaking at the third in a series of public consultations on the Draft National Fisheries Policy in Montego Bay St. James yesterday, September 25, Minister of Agriculture, Dr....

Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has said that the sector recorded five per cent growth since the start of the year, and has exceeded the performance of all other destinations in the Caribbean, and Latin, and South America. Speaking at a recent JIS 'Think Tank', he stated that preliminary figures as at September 21, indicate that the island received 1.2...

Industry, Investment, and Commerce Minister, Karl Samuda, has called on manufacturers to utilise applied technology and new approaches to enhance productivity in the sector. This he said, should be coupled with increased output by workers, and pledged the administration's support for these efforts. "We have no hesitation to extending support to any manufacturer or community of manufacturers, manufacturing a product,...

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health and the Environment, Senator Aundre Franklin, has called for the creation of a 'green economy' and 'green jobs', thus creating a new workforce of what he terms 'green collar workers'. This vision of a green economy, he says, would also facilitate the training of thousands of unemployed Jamaican youths for 21st century jobs...

The Knockalva Agricultural School, in Ramble, Hanover, has won the first Pesticide Control Authority (PCA), championship trophy, by defeating the Sydney Pagon Agricultural High School, in an inaugural quiz competition. The competition was staged by the PCA, as part of its observance of Pesticides Awareness Week from September 21 to 27. With Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) Western Regional Director,...

As the Department of Local Government seeks, to carry out its mandate of decentralising Local Government, an action planning workshop was being staged, with participation from the island's local authorities, to continue capacity building in furthering the reform process. The workshop took the form of a retreat, geared specifically at discussing the Implementation Matrix, designed to guide the process of...