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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade says it has been making significant progress with plans to integrate the country’s trade policy into the National Development Plan, Vision 2030. The Ministry’s Under-Secretary in its Foreign Trade Division, Marcia Thomas, told Heads of Missions at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday June 28, that the Ministry has...

Minister of National Security, Senator the Hon. Dwight Nelson has reiterated plans to disaggregate murder figures to reflect the number of homicides that result from criminal activity, and those which occur due to domestic incidents. “We churn out the figures…(for example), for the month of May, we have 100 murders, but we do not disaggregate the figures, so everybody accept...

Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Gladstone Hutchinson, says continued progress towards the nation achieving developed country status under the National Development Plan, Vision 2030 Jamaica, is contingent on key Governance issues being addressed, particularly at the community level. A critical component, he argues, is the strengthening of local governance to ensure broad stakeholder participation in...

Stakeholders in St. Elizabeth have welcomed the newly built Nain Early Childhood Institution and St. Elizabeth Resource Centre. The facility, constructed by the Ministry of Education at a cost of $72 million, will accommodate 75 students and provide training and professional support for practitioners. “Having a resource centre of this type augurs well for the development of early childhood education...

Managing Director of Smith Warner International Limited, Dr. David Smith, has stressed the importance of countries in the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, effectively managing and mitigating the impact of coastal-related hazards, in order to conserve resources. “The Government of Jamaica has to recognise that in order to get to its Vision 2030, one of the things we have to do is...

Some 97 per cent of building applications were approved during 2010/2011, through the simplification of the process and reduced approval timeline. The 97 per cent represents a six-per cent increase in the approval of planning/building applications, compared to 2009/2010. Of the 5,877 planning/building applications approved during the period, 5,706 were processed within the 90-day target period. This was disclosed by...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon Marlene Malahoo Forte, says that the Jamaican Diaspora is committed to constructive dialogue, and is working with the Ministry to move Jamaica forward. “All major groups are represented, the Board is fully constituted, Convention 2011 is on and we are going to have a wonderful...

The old adage, ‘Children should be seen and not heard’ will not reverberate with today’s youth. Those days are over and their voices now echo on a radio discussion programme dubbed, ‘Dosupmn’, heard fortnightly on Roots FM. Launched by the National Transformation Programme (NTP), it is aimed at moulding the minds of young people to become first class citizens. Spearheaded...

Just over 50 delegates from the United States (US) northeast region are confirmed for the two-day Jamaica Diaspora conference, which gets underway on Wednesday June 15 in Ocho Rios, St. Ann. Diaspora Advisory Board Member for the region, Patrick Beckford, said the number is less than in previous years, noting that the effects of the recession had impacted the amount...

Over 20 groups and individuals have delivered items in traditional folk forms, at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s (JCDC) Finals of the National Festival of the Performing Arts. The finals, which began on Tuesday at the Little Theatre, Tom Redcam Drive, Kingston, will be held throughout the month, starting at 10:00 a.m., except on June 25, when the Deaf Dance category...

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), Reginald Budhan, says the ministry has intensified its programme to get laboratories accredited, and business stakeholders certified with the International Standards Organization (ISO). This is to ensure that products being exported meet the stipulated standards of the countries for which they are intended, Mr. Budhan said. He was speaking...

Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal yesterday presented gold awards to some 19 young people from high schools and community groups across the island,for successfully completing various pursuits under the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Jamaica. At a ceremony at King’s House, the youngsters received the highest honour for their outstanding achievement in skill areas, community service, recreation and expedition in...