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I extend Christmas greetings to all Jamaicans at home and abroad as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This past year has been very challenging for many Jamaicans. Several hurricanes in the vicinity of the island caused extensive infrastructural damage and setbacks in areas such as agriculture. Our children have been under attack, not just in increasing numbers, but...

My Fellow Jamaicans, The Christmas season is once again upon us. It is the time of greatest cheer, of goodwill and of corporate celebration. For us here in Jamaica, the warmth of the season shows up in the blooming poinsettias, the sorrel, the soft golden light of the December sun and the joyful sound of carols. As a people I...

One of the amazing things about Christmas is that it never grows old and we never grow too old for it. Each year it comes and goes and we look forward to its return next year. Christmas has a special meaning for each of us, whether young or old, rich or poor. For some, it is a time for fun...

Commissioner of Customs, Danville Walker, has said that the investment made by Government in the security and detection systems at the ports of entry is yielding results. Speaking in the wake of the seizure of 15 guns, including 5 high powered weapons, and hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition on, December 23, Mr. Walker said that the procedures, when applied,...

The Kingston and Portland offices of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the office of Poor Relief are calling on the public to make donations of gifts for the children of the Portland Rio Grande valley tragedy and who lost their sole breadwinner in last Friday's (Dec 19) motor vehicle tragedy. Members of the public are invited to...

The stock of money in circulation on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2008 the last shopping day before Christmas stood at just over $52 billion, representing an increase of approximately 4.4 per cent relative to the stock of some $49.8, which obtained for the similar period in 2007. The Central Bank attributed the relatively small increase of money in circulation to...

Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), HE Dr. Edwin Carrington has sent a message of condolence to the Government and people of Jamaica in the wake of Friday's fatal accident at Dam Bridge in the Rio Grande Valley area of Portland. Following is Dr. Carrington's message: "I have just received the news of the tragic accident which took place on...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Dr. the Honourable Ronald Robinson has welcomed new measures introduced by the Customs Department to facilitate the processing of Returning Residents. The initiatives implemented this month, followed representation made by Minister Robinson to Custom Authorities earlier this year. The representation was in response to a request from...

The Cuban Government through the Catedra Internacional de Artes Plasticas y Musicas is offering two scholarships, one in Music (percussion and guitar) and the other in Visual Arts (painting and print) ), to Jamaican students between the ages of 18 and 25, to pursue a course of study in Cuba for approximately three and a half years, beginning in March...

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, is optimistic that the ongoing negotiations with Brazilian company, Infinity Bio-Energy, will conclude in the signing of an agreement for the takeover of the country's five state-owned sugar companies, with the Government holding a minority share. "We remain optimistic that we will have a conclusion but we are not there as yet...however, we did...

Cabinet has approved the establishment of nine fishing sanctuaries in seven critical areas around the island's coastline, to complement the existing two sanctuaries. Making the announcement at today's (December 23), post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, noted that this is part of Government's efforts to take steps to begin the process of encouraging more sustainable fisheries, while...

President of the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA), Omar Azan, has welcomed the Government's assistance to the manufacturing sector, noting that "businesses and the productive sector will definitely be able to gain" from the initiatives announced. Mr. Azan, who was speaking in an interview with JIS News, said that the measures "will be essential in the short-term in providing immediate cash...