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Agriculture Minister, Roger Clarke has signed a US$453,000 technical assistance agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), for the provision of drip and sprinkle irrigation systems to selected farming communities and training in the use of the systems. The provision was made under the FAO's Regional Special Programme for Food Security at the Country Level, which is aimed at...

Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies has said the sugar industry should not be written off and that with proper planning and management of the sector restoration could occur. The Minister, who was speaking during his opening presentation in the Budget Debate at Gordon House on Thursday (April 16) told his colleagues that whilst in certain circumstances the decline...

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies has said that the Government is projecting an inflation rate of nine per cent for fiscal year 2004/05. The preliminary inflation outturn for the previous fiscal year was 16.7 per cent, more than twice the projected target of seven per cent for the period. Meanwhile, the Finance Minister also projected lower inflation...

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies has said the recent growth spurt in the local bauxite/alumina sector is a significant part of the improved competitive position now being experienced by Jamaica. The Minister who opened the Budget Debate at Gordon House in Kingston on Thursday (April 15) pointed out that in the first quarter of 2004, alumina production...

Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies has said that development work on Segment Two and Three of the North Coast Highway was a major factor influencing decisions for new investments in tourism in the parishes of St. Ann and Trelawny. He pointed out that already, Segment One of the North Coast Highway had totally transformed the travel dynamics between...

Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies has highlighted two recent initiatives being spearheaded by the Export Import Bank (Ex-Im) for the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) sector. The undertaking will see Ex-Im providing an $80 million pool of funds to the sector for software development, receivables financing, working capital and the purchasing of capital equipment. The interest rate on...

Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies has said that the impending increase in the number of hotels to be constructed by international groups, indicated a strong level of investor confidence in the future of the economy. He pointed out that the total investment would be in the range of US$550 million to US$600 million, excluding the cost of land...

A number of police stations in Portland are to be refurbished or upgraded during the current financial year as part of the process of modernising the infrastructure of the police force and improving its ability and effectiveness in crime fighting. Making this disclosure after a tour of police stations in Eastern Portland on Wednesday (April 14), Minister of National Security,...

With the installation of a computer with Braille keyboard, visually impaired persons can now use the free cyber caf

Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies has said that the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) made no advances to central Government during fiscal year 2003/04. Dr. Davies' remarks came in response to a previous enquiry made by Member of Parliament for St. Andrew North Eastern, Delroy Chuck. The Minister was making his contribution on Thursday (April 15) to the 2004/05...

Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies has recommended that a realistic energy policy be developed to address the country's high-energy bill. In opening the 2004/05 Budget Debate at Gordon House on Thursday (April 15), Dr. Davies disclosed that the original forecast for the country's oil bill for 2004/05 was projected at US$30 per barrel, which represents some US$850...

The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) approved loans totalling J$1.35 billion and US$27.7 million during the 2003/04 fiscal year. Under this, the main sectors to benefit were: Agriculture with J$263 million, Agro-industry with J$284 million, Manufacturing with J$445 million and Tourism with J$210 million and US$27 million. Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies who made the disclosure while opening...