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Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has said that a massive registration of farmers would be undertaken in the next two weeks, as a means of addressing some of the deficiencies in the farming sector. Addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) at the Denbigh show ground in Clarendon recently, he pointed out that the registration...

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has commended the Ebony Park HEART Academy in Clarendon for its proactive role in helping to address the issue of food security, which now faces not only Jamaica, but the rest of the world. "Despite all the discussions in the media, the world is facing a crisis as it relates to feeding itself," he...

Parish Organizer for the Clarendon chapter of the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC), Nova Williams-Taylor, is encouraging Jamaicans to recognise the worth of the senior citizens, and the contribution they are still capable of making to national life. Mrs. Williams-Taylor was speaking at the annual sports day, which was held recently at the Jamalco Sports Club in the parish....

Senior Education Officer, Esmelda McKenzie, has issued a challenge to young Jamaicans to make full use of all the facilities and opportunities available to them, as they seek to advance themselves. She also advised them to live by positive values, and to exercise discipline, integrity and determination in their quest to achieve their full potential. Mrs. McKenzie, who is attached...

The Registrar General's Department (RGD) has been selected as a semi-finalist for the prestigious Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) 2008 International Innovation Awards for Customer Service. This selection is based on its improvements from 'Bedside Registration to Service Delivery,' under the theme, Citizen Empowerment and Service Delivery. The RGD received a letter of notification in June that...

Budgetary implications, political consideration and CARICOM's Common External Tariff (CET) are impeding Jamaica's chances of achieving effective tax reform that will make the tax system simpler, fairer, and enhance economic growth. Deputy Financial Secretary in the Taxation Division of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Paul Lai, expressed this view at a JIS Think Tank yesterday (July 15),...

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, with Responsibility for Local Government Reform, Robert Montague, has said that the Government is in the process of more clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of Parish Councils. This will make them more effective in managing the local affairs of citizens, he said. "The draft constitution amendments have been completed...

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service has given approval for an additional seven Crown Counsels to boost the capacity of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, as it presents criminal cases before the court in a timely and efficient manner.The disclosure was made by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Paula Llewellyn, during a Think Tank session...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw has said that the Government has to now maximize the benefits of the PetroCaribe Development Fund, by utilizing the money to enhance the country's economic development. "We have started off substantially using those (funds) in sort of 'bail-out' circumstances where we have used it to bail out Air Jamaica, we have...

Councillors of the St. James Parish Council have been urged by Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Local Government Reform, Robert Montague, to play a greater role in motivating more citizens to pay their property taxes. Observing that for the first three months of this financial year the parish collected some $96.6 million,...

The Honourable Olivia "Babsy" Grange, Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, (MICYS) has lauded the collaboration between the National Gallery of Jamaica the United States Ambassador's Fund as further demonstration of the strong cultural and artistic bond that exists between Jamaica and the US. Minister Grange spoke today at ceremony at which a cheque for just under two million...

Deputy Financial Secretary in the Taxation Division of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Paul Lai, has said that Jamaica's tax system urgently needs to raise more revenue to close the fiscal gap. Speaking at a JIS Think Tank session yesterday (July 15), Mr. Lai said that despite the high levels of foreign direct investment inflows into the...