More

Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Phillip Paulwell, yesterday (July 26) launched the Jamaica Business Information Centre Project, which will provide technical expertise and business support for micro, small and medium-sized clients. The $19 million project will involve the setting up of information centres across the island, with the main hub located at the Camp Road headquarters of the...

I am deeply saddened by the passing of one of the most distinguished Jamaicans ever - The Honourable Louise Bennett Coverley, affectionately known by all Jamaicans as "Miss Lou". She was loved by all and in many ways epitomized what it means to be 'Jamaican'. Miss Lou was a cultural pioneer for this country, and having mastered her own appreciation...

Jamaica's beloved cultural icon, the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley (Miss Lou), has died. She was 86 years old. Miss Lou passed away today (July 26) at the Scarborough Grace Hospital in Toronto, Canada, after collapsing at home early this morning. Born in Kingston on September 7, 1919, Miss Lou is Jamaica's premier folklorist, poet, entertainer and comedienne. As a cultural giant,...

Nominations are now open for the second annual Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence in Sport. Persons have until August 31 to submit their entries. The award, which is administered by the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund and the National Council on Sports, grants a cash disbursement of $500,000 to Jamaican nationals between the ages of 18 and...

The Information Systems Division of the Office of the Contractor General has implemented several in-house projects to ensure the effective use of technology in carrying out the operations of the Contractor General's Department and the National Contracts Commission (NCC). As set out in the Office's annual report for 2005, which was tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday (July 25),...

The Technical Services Division of the Office of the Contractor General has reported a boost in its application turnaround in 2005 with the fulfillment of its mandate to expedite responses for all matters brought before the National Contracts Commission (NCC) within a 10-day period. According to the Contractor General's Report for the 2005 calendar year, which was tabled in the...

In a 29 to 17 vote in the House of Representatives, the Government on July 25 defeated the censure motion brought by Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw, which called for the resignation of Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Phillip Paulwell. In calling for the resignation, Mr. Shaw cited mismanagement and dereliction of duties regarding the circumstances surrounding...

Senior Director for the Land Administration and Management Division in the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Mohini Kiswani, has said that the Ministry's recently established Squatter Management Unit was making inroads in addressing the problem of informal settlements. Dr. Kiswani, who spoke to JIS News after a site visit which the Unit conducted in the Rocky Point area in Clarendon...

The Police Public Complaints Authority (PPCA) has disclosed that it received 96 fewer complaints in the 2004/2005 fiscal year, than in the previous fiscal period, reflecting a decrease of some 26 per cent.This information is contained in the PPCA's annual report, which was tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday (July 25). The report detailed that a total of 692...

Some 94 residents of Westmoreland have been equipped for jobs in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, having completed training courses offered by the Bluefield People's Community Association (BPCA). The project, which is being executed through funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Jamaica Sustainable Development Network Limited (JSDN), is designed to equip young people from...

The Ministry of National Security, in association with the Cabinet Office, will host the fifth in a series of police-youth rap sessions dubbed 'Come Mek Wi Reason' tomorrow (July 27) at the Denham Town Community Centre. Coordinator of the Youth Inclusion Prototype (YIP) in the Cabinet Office, Steadman Noble, told JIS News that the rap session, which would get underway...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is reminding the public that with the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season now underway, crocodile sightings will become more frequent. Coordinator of Flora and Fauna at NEPA's Biodiversity Branch, Richard Nelson, told JIS News that, "crocodiles live in wetlands and rivers near the sea, because roads and recreation areas are being built close to...