Kemar Cummings, a Jamaican writer and poet living in Australia, continues to participate in and contribute to the literary works of his homeland. He recently won three medals in the 2021 Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Creative Writing Competition. At the virtual awards ceremony held on November 20, Mr. Cummings received gold medals for his poems Brother and Negro Aroused....

Hard work and diligence have paid off for 28 students, who were recently recognised by the Universal Service Fund (USF) for outstanding performance in the 2021 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations. The top-performing students, one boy and one girl from every parish, were each presented with a laptop computer by USF to assist them in virtual learning, which has become...

The 160-year-old Bethlehem Moravian College (BMC), in St. Elizabeth, has opened a state-of-the-art centre for the teaching of early-childhood education. The Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund as part of its mandate to support the nation’s education sector provided the $40.3-million for the construction of the Bethlehem Moravian College Early Childhood Centre of Excellence. This facility boasts three...

Several business leaders are welcoming the positive signs that the economy is rebounding from the economic fallout caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), and the projections of a return to pre-pandemic levels of growth and employment over the short to medium term. They are also crediting the Government’s fiscal management in steering the country towards a path of recovery. Following a...

Young people from communities across Westmoreland have benefited from training to better prepare them to take up roles as future community leaders under the Social Development Commission’s (SDC) inaugural Young Educated Leaders, Lead (YELL) programme. The initiative, which began in October, concluded on November 20 with a debate competition and closing ceremony at The Source in Savanna-la-Mar, under the theme ‘Youth…The...

The 350-year-old Jamaica Post has cemented itself as an outstanding service provider, delivering mail items both locally and internationally, the major plank of its core business. And, in keeping with the mandate to increase revenue based on customer demands, Jamaica Post has, over the years, expanded its offerings with the introduction of premium services to better serve its customers. These...

Deputy Governor of the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ), Natalie Haynes, says Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) implementation is consistent with the Government’s overall financial inclusion strategy. CBDC is a digital form of central bank-issued currency and, therefore, is legal tender that can be exchanged dollar for dollar with physical cash. Households and businesses will be able to use CBDC to,...

The administration at Ferris Primary School in Westmoreland, is implementing strategic literacy and numeracy programmes to address learning loss stemming from the closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The institution is one of 376 schools across the island that reopened for face-to-face classes on November 8, following approval by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information. Speaking in...

Navigating the financial system can be intimidating for the average person. Terms such as stock options, dividends, reducing balance are not simple or easy to understand and can be a turn-off for persons looking to access financial products to serve their needs. In addition, there have been complaints among the unbanked about the onerous procedures they have to go through...