More

Legislation is well advanced to establish the legal framework for the charging and use of the tourism enhancement fee and the establishment of an interim advisory committee, which will ultimately become a Board of Directors for the Tourism Enhancement Fund, which will manage the implementation of the Tourism Master Plan. Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba divulged this on...

Education, Youth and Culture Minister, Maxine Henry-Wilson has said that the Cabinet Office has recommended some 20 agencies to be consolidated to bring about greater efficiency in the public sector. According to the Minister there were significant overlaps in the mandates of some agencies and as such some would have to be collapsed or made redundant. Addressing a JIS Think...

The United Kingdom (UK) Home Office has announced a new series of measures to help prevent what is said to be the abuse of immigration routes to study or marry in that country. These are the latest in the series of measures implemented by the British government over the past two years to tighten its immigration process. Last year changes...

A new car park, with 39 car spaces, has been officially opened in St. Ann's Bay, St. Ann, at a cost of some $2 million. The facility, the first of its type in the parish, being operated by the St. Ann Parish Council, comprises a ticket office and sanitary conveniences, that will facilitate the users, who will find it more...

There has been an increase in the number of complaints and queries about credit cards, the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) has reported. Director of Research, Information and Communication at the CAC, Raymond Pryce told JIS News that the increase in the number of calls to the CAC reflected the growth in electronic transactions in Jamaica. "As credit cards become more...

Suggesting that Jamaica would be in a precarious position if it participated in the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), Opposition Leader, Edward Seaga is cautioning the government not to proceed on that journey. "Jamaica's participation in the proposed extension of CARICOM to create the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) would expose the vulnerability of the economy to even...

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies today (April 22) signed a US$19,274, 840 loan agreement with the Holland-based ING Bank N.V. for the acquisition of three Offshore Surveillance vessels to strengthen Jamaica's border control. The loan agreement represents 65 per cent of the cost of the vessels. The additional down payment of US$10,378,760 will be financed through a...

Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba has reported that arrival figures remained strong for the first quarter of this year, with stopover arrivals showing an increase of 7.5 per cent. She also noted that cruise ship arrivals continued to grow, reflecting a 2.5 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year. Making her Budget presentation in the House...

Following the opening Budget presentation by Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies on Thursday April 15, several sector leaders are upbeat about the prospects for growth in the economy. Commenting on the achievability of the fiscal targets in an interview with JIS News this week, Group Managing Director of National Commercial Bank, Aubyn Hill, noted that positive signs were...

Small and micro businesses are responsible for approximately 33.9 per cent employment in the country, Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba has revealed. She explained that in light of this, the Government would continue to make a special effort to facilitate the development of competitive and dynamic small enterprises that could contribute to wealth generation and job creation. Making...

The Banana Fibre project is to get a boost with a skilled Japanese volunteer coming to the island to assist with the development of the programme, which is being spearheaded by the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC). Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, announced on Wednesday (April 21) that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had made arrangements to...

As of September 2004, Mico Teachers' College will extend its teaching curriculum to include a Bachelor of Science degree in Primary Education and a Bachelor's in Education Leadership. This was announced by Principal of Mico Teachers' College, Dr. Claude Packer, at the 16th annual fund-raising banquet of the South Florida chapter of the Mico Old Students' Association, held in Miami...