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Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller says Jamaican-born pilot Barrington Irving is an inspiration to Jamaica and the world. She says his success in building an aircraft from scratch and completing the journey around the world, sometimes in very treacherous conditions shows his perseverance and indomitable Jamaican spirit. The Prime Minister spoke to the 23-year old by telephone...

The Pest Control Authority (PCA) is staging a series of community meetings in Portland to increase public awareness about the safe and proper use of chemicals. Farming communities are being specially targeted, because of the heavy use of pesticides and other chemicals in crop cultivation by farmers. Meetings have already been held in Fair Prospect and Hope Bay, with others...

Member of Parliament for Central Manchester, John Junor, has said that the marketing of the country's tourism industry should be segmented, as to appeal to different publics. "Port Antonio in my view should be developed as an upscale destination and combined with green tourism because both are compatible. You usually find people who are environmentalist are not going to be...

Cabinet has approved a submission from the Health Corporation of Jamaica for the purchase of a property at 2 Union Square in Cross Roads, Kingston. This building houses the Drug Serv Pharmacy, and will be purchased at a cost of $23 million. This was announced by Minister of Information and Development, Donald Buchanan, at the weekly post Cabinet press briefing,...

Cabinet has approved the appointment of Maureen Webber as the new chairman of the National Housing Development Corporation (NHDC). This was announced on (June 25) by the Minister of Information and Development, Donald Buchanan, at the post Cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House. Miss Webber operates her own company, Development Options Limited, and is also an adviser to Minister...

Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr. Herbert Thompson, President of the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), to head the panel to undertake a strategic review of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). This was announced by the Minister of Information and Development, Donald Buchanan, during the post Cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House yesterday (June 25). He added that the...

Cabinet has approved contracts for the procurement and distribution of text- books for the 2007 Secondary School Text-book Programme. Companies which will benefit from the award of these contracts are Sangster's Book Stores Limited in the sum of $237,569,586.16; Carlong Publishers Caribbean Limited, $203,747,194.70; Kingston Bookshop, $81,356,948.35; Book Wizard Limited, $85,314,000.44 and Bryan's Bookstore Limited, $2,174,443.18. This was announced yesterday...

The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) is encouraging civil servants and persons with at least one year tertiary level education to offer their services as Election Day workers. Speaking recently at a JIS Think Tank, Director of Elections, Danville Walker, pointed out that the EOJ has been conducting recruitment exercises since September 2006 but some 3,500 recruits, mainly in Kingston...

The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) is assuring that persons voting on election day will do so safely, as the agency has recruited some 8,500 persons who will be working as 'one day police officers'. Speaking at a JIS 'Think Tank' on June 20, Director of Elections, Danville Walker informed that the EOJ has been working with the Jamaica Constabulary...

Plans by the Rusea's Old Students Association (ROSA) to spearhead major redevelopment and improvement work at their Hanover-based alma mater have been boosted with a $4 million contribution from the Ministry of Education and Youth. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Maria Jones, yesterday (June 25) presented the cheque to President of ROSA, Lloyd Tomlinson and Principal, June Thompson, at a...

A new curriculum for early childhood education and development is to be introduced in select institutions across the island starting this September. The new curriculum, which will be piloted by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), is in keeping with the government's thrust to improve the quality of early childhood care in Jamaica. Speaking with JIS News, Executive Chair of the...

Cabinet has approved amendments to the first Schedule of the General Consumption Tax (GCT) Act to allow all persons importing hybrid vehicles to pay a fixed rate of 16.5 per cent as of July 1 this year. This was announced by Minister of Information and Development, Donald Buchanan, at the post Cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House yesterday (June...