The Data Protection Act, 2020, mandates Data Controllers to register with the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC), but not all Data Controllers are required to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO). DPOs play an essential role in assisting Data Controllers to safeguard data privacy and ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act, 2020. They guide entities in the development...

The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) is moving to make the use of contactless clearance by clients compulsory over the coming months. Contactless clearance is the process by which Customs conducts inspections of non-commercial cargo with a Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) value of under US$5,000, without the importer or agent needing to be present for the exercise. Project Manager, Kingsley...

The Revenue Protection Department (RPD) remains committed to safeguarding the country’s revenue. It was formed in the 1990s, primarily to address what was perceived to be rampant fraud and corruption at the Customs Department. The need for the RPD was also recognised by the Barents Report, commissioned by the Government of Jamaica. Over the years, the role of the RPD...

After experiencing significant setbacks in his education consequent on the curtailment of classroom instructional delivery by COVID-19, Laterell McKenzie has emerged as the top business student at José Martí High School in St. Catherine. For attaining nine business subjects in the Caribbean Examinations Council’s (CXC) external tests, he was awarded the inaugural Rohan Silvera Business Award, two trophies, a plaque,...

For more than 20 years, Jamaican entertainer and international recording artiste, Orville “Shaggy” Burrell and his Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation have supported the Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) programme of ‘mending little hearts’. Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the hospital, Dr. Sherard Little, tells JIS News that the Foundation’s involvement with the health facility has served the institution well, adding...

The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) provides a range of pensions and benefits to contributors of all ages and circumstances. The Scheme is funded by taxpayers through compulsory National Insurance contributions and is the source from which pensions and other benefits are paid. All persons between the ages of 18 and 70 who earn an income are required to be registered...

Much like their onion-producing counterparts in the Western end of the parish, farmers in Eastern St. Thomas are looking to make record-breaking strides in the cultivation of cassava. Nigel Levy, who has a plot in the Plantain Garden River Agro-Park, tells JIS News that the farmers there have turned to cassava as a steady crop that can survive the vagaries...

Most persons would gasp in horror at the waves of trash crashing on to the beaches, threatening the island’s pristine shoreline and quickly move on, leaving the responsibility of addressing the issue to someone else. But not Paige Garnett. This young environmental activist is determined to keep Jamaica clean, one beach and community at a time. Her aim is to...

Already, the year 2024 is shaping up to be the dawn of a new era in St. Thomas, with significant improvements in the road infrastructure set to attract major investments to the eastern parish. The Government’s larger-than-life Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) is now at an advanced stage and this has meant many kilometres of four-lane roadways, smooth asphalted...