Residents of the community of Cheswick in St. Thomas will soon benefit from several infrastructural projects being undertaken by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development. These projects are estimated to cost approximately $120 million and aim to improve the infrastructure and facilities in the Cheswick community. The infrastructural improvements fall under the Rural Development Programme, which is spearheaded...

Having overcome the challenges of poverty and now travelling the world as a Junior Executive Chef aboard a cruise ship, Javann Riley is inspiring young people to become certified in a technical or vocational skill to improve their job prospects. The 25-year-old, who received level-three certification in Commercial Food Preparation (Chef de partie) at the HEART/NSTA Trust’s Boys Town Vocational...

The public sector is being encouraged to adopt high ethical standards as outlined under the Protected Disclosures Act, 2011. This urging comes from Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Deputy Governor, George Roper, who tells JIS News that public officers should seek to build a culture that promotes “ethical conduct and transparency”. “If you want to create that kind of environment, that...

Business operators are being encouraged to ensure that the 10-digit format is used to publish and display all local mobile and landline numbers, using the correct area code for each number. The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) recently assigned a Central Office Code – a number block which contains 10,000 telephone numbers – under Jamaica’s new area code, ‘658’. Jamaica’s...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is urging vigilance by parents and guardians to prevent fires while children are at home during the summer months. Public Relations Officer for the JFB, Emilio Ebanks, shares with JIS News several recommended precautions that families should observe to prevent fires. Mr. Ebanks emphasises that underaged children should never be left alone at home. “When...

Samantha Sterling will be pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies at The Mico University College in the 2023/24 academic year on a fully paid scholarship provided by the Government of Jamaica. She is among 1,250 new student-teachers at the institution who will have their tuition fully covered over the next five years through a $2.5 billion investment. The...

Melrose Cameron dedicated 49 years of service to Jamaica’s education sector as a teacher and early-childhood education officer, for which she recently earned the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Golden Torch Award. Her years of service ranked highest among the 206 teachers who were recognised at Tuesday’s (July 11) awards ceremony for giving a minimum of 35 years of service. The...

Three families from the parish of Clarendon woke up this morning in brand-new houses that were provided under the New Social Housing Programme (NSHP). Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, handed over the units on Wednesday (July 12) to Fitzroy Edwards from Berrydale District in Scott’s Pass and Kadian Campbell from Darlow District, who both received three-bedroom houses, and...

Jamaica possesses the necessary ingredients to emerge as a nearshore manufacturing powerhouse, with its Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Regime playing a pivotal role in the process. SEZs are designated geographic areas designed to attract local and foreign investments, offering unique fiscal incentives distinct from the rest of the country. In an interview with JIS News, Chief Executive Officer (Interim) at...