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Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Arnaldo Brown, says it is critical that Jamaica begins to grasp opportunities to increase production and exports, even as the country is challenged to adapt to an ever changing trade environment. Mr. Brown, who was speaking at a Validation Workshop for the Review and Revision of Jamaica’s...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Arnaldo Brown, says private sector involvement in the review, formulation and ultimate implementation of Jamaica’s Foreign Trade Policy is highly critical. “As the trade operators actively engaged in export and import, the private sector plays a critical role in trade, and thus formulating and implementing the trade...

The issue of HIV/AIDS has been a discussion topic for many persons within the workplace, as a result of the stigma and discrimination associated with this life threatening illness. Against this background, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) has embarked on several initiatives to raise the level of awareness about HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Programme Director for HIV/AIDS...

Jamaica, over the years, has experienced a number of natural disasters, which have resulted in significant social dislocation and economic loss. The Government is making strides in reducing the island’s vulnerability to disaster through a number of projects and initiatives including the Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Project. The project, which is being implemented by the Planning Institute...

Promoting and building a culture of productivity among private and public companies, is the focus of the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC), in line with the goals spelled out in Vision 2030 - Jamaica's National Development Plan. Director at the JPC, Charles Douglas, informs JIS News that  the Centre conducts research and measurements to determine the level of productivity regarding companies...

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. A.J. Nicholson, says that as a small developing state, Jamaica requires increased production and exports, through new investments, to achieve robust economic growth and to reduce the country’s debt burden. “A major priority for Jamaica must, therefore, be the production of goods and services for export, and making imports contribute...

A US$9.5 million grant to assist with poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; environmental sustainability and energy security; and democratic governance, has been secured by the Government from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The agreement was formalised by Director General, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Gladstone Hutchinson, who signed on behalf of the Government,...

Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Gladstone Hutchinson, has announced that probate reform, which aims to mobilise private and public assets, deemed under-utilised, is expected to come on stream within the next few months. Speaking on the final day of the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s (JSE) seventh Investments and Capital Markets Conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel,...

Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL) has embarked on a comprehensive upgrading programme, to provide rural areas with a reliable water supply. The company, which falls under the Ministry of Housing, Environment, Water and Local Government, is involved in several projects, including the Comfort Hall, Copperwood and Richmond Hill project in St. James, which will benefit 2,700 residents and is funded...

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) has embarked on a public education campaign, aimed at capitalising on the traction and groundswell resonating with the country’s National Development Plan, Vision 2030 Jamaica. Communication Specialist for Vision 2030 Jamaica in the PIOJ’s Plan Development Unit, Carmen Miller, informs that the Institute has entered into an initial six-month contract with the Jamaica Information...

A recently published study on the environment has found that over the last three years, there has been an increased focus on improving environmental management in Jamaica. The report suggests that this has been achieved through activities such as creating new standards, policies and regulations (and enforcing existing ones); increased environmental monitoring; and raising greater awareness among citizens and stakeholders....

Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Gladstone Hutchinson, has commended the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for its assistance in addressing the impact of the “brain drain” on Jamaica. Speaking at a special ceremony at the PIOJ’s New Kingston offices recently to mark the IOM’s 60th anniversary, Dr. Hutchinson said the organization had been instrumental in...