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The Government is moving apace to have the island's National Building Act approved, says Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton. "The first draft of this Act has been completed and reviewed by the broad based Building Code Implementation Steering Committee. The comments from the Committee are to be submitted to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel for deliberation...

Chairman of the National Housing Trust (NHT), Howard Mitchell,  says there should  be greater collaboration between public and private sector housing industry stakeholders  in the development of  more affordable  housing solutions, particularly low income options, to meet the country's needs. Speaking at an NHT Roundtable Discussion at the agency's New Kingston offices on September  14, Mr. Mitchell noted that since...

In recognition of the media's role in simulating debate on issues of national importance, the National Housing Trust (NHT) has established a special Journalism Award for Excellence in reporting on Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing. Making the announcement during a Roundtable Discussion held at the NHT's New Kingston offices on Wednesday (Sept. 14), the company's Managing Director, Cecile Watson, said...

“Many of the top business persons that I have spoken to, now tell me that the environment for doing business in Jamaica has never been better,” Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Gladstone Hutchinson, told a Public Sector Monitoring Committee (PSMC) seminar on Tuesday September 6. "They say this is the best macro-economic environment they have...

A Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC), involving 12 entities with roles in the application and compliance with International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) mandatory instruments, was signed Tuesday September 6 at the Ministry of Transport and Works. The MOC will provide for co-operation in vessel safety and security; security in port facilities and port areas; protection of the maritime environment from vessel pollution;...

A sum of $174 million, which has been added to the 2011/12 budget, should be enough to complete the 2011 Population and Housing Census this month, as targeted. After STATIN's Director-General, Sonia Jackson, explained that the agency had met a July 31 deadline to complete the field work, but needed to do some “mopping up”, census takers were sent out...

Between January and June this year, major crimes in Jamaica (murder, shooting, rape, carnal abuse, robbery, break-ins and larceny) declined by 12.6 percent, compared to the similar period in 2010. One hundred and eighty nine (189) major crimes per 100,000 Jamaicans were committed over the period, down from 216 per 100,000 over the corresponding period in 2010. The murder rate...

The goal of achieving greater dialogue and consensus around national issues and challenges will take an important step forward on September 20 when leaders across sectors sign the code of conduct that will provide momentum for the Partnership for Transformation (PFT) process. The move comes after three years of monthly meetings at Jamaica House, involving leaders from government, private sector,...

Two roads in Rockfort, East Kingston, reconditioned by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) with $19 million worth of grant funding from the European Union's (EU) Poverty Reduction Programme (Phase 2), were handed over on Tuesday August 23. The upgrading of Rusden and Tiverton roads, covering some 686 square metres, expected to improve entrance and exit to and from areas...

It is a well defined and accepted fact that any true measurement of growth in a country goes beyond the narrow parameters of financial and infrastructure development, and Vision 2030 Jamaica is aiming to do exactly that. Like many other developing countries around the world, Jamaica, and it could be said some developed countries too, has not lived up to...

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Dr. Kenneth Baugh, has emphasised the need for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to do more to demonstrate the positives that are happening in the region. This, he said, is in response to the public perception that the Community is failing and that there is "an implementation deficit." "Most of this negative perception...

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jean Dixon, has underscored the importance of having an effective and robust information system that will support the management of health service delivery in Jamaica. Speaking at the opening of a three-day National Health Information System assessment workshop today (July 26) at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston, she argued that, against...