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The Portmore Municipality has planned a budget of $152.2 million for the 2004/05 financial year, with the intention of earning a similar amount for the period. Mayor of Portmore, George Lee made the announcement when he addressed the residents at a public hearing, held on February 5 in the community. He pointed out that the budget has been approved by...

Approximately 30 land titles have been handed over to beneficiaries in the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) Orange Bay sites and services scheme in Hanover.This completes the full transfer of all 147 lots in the three phases of the scheme to beneficiaries from that area of Hanover. Giving an overview of the project at the handing over ceremony, held in the...

Jamaica will host the 2004 Contact Centre and Strategic Sourcing Summit of the Americas from February 8 to 11 at the Half Moon Hotel, Montego Bay, after outbidding Puerto Rico and Miami. The island's investment/export promotions and facilitation agency, Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), is organizing the Summit, which is regarded as one of the highlights on the international contact centre...

The St. Ann Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), has embarked on a plan to further reduce crime in the parish. The parish, last year, experienced an eight per cent reduction in crime, when compared with 2002.In an interview, Ray Palmer, Superintendent in charge of the parish, told JIS News that the police was involved in a programme aimed...

A study on the return on investment in tertiary education in Jamaica has pointed to the need for more spending in the sector to boost economic growth. The study entitled: 'Private and Social Return to Investment in Tertiary Education in Jamaica' was prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and was launched on Wednesday, February 4 at the Jamaica...

The Governments of Jamaica and the United States today signed a protocol amending the 1997 US Jamaica Maritime Counter Narcotics Cooperation Agreement, also known as the Shiprider Agreement, for further cooperation in deterring the movement of illicit drugs through Jamaican territorial waters from South America to the United States. The protocol further allows for cooperation in ship boarding, ship riding...

Minister of Industry and Tourism Aloun Ndombet-Assamba has emphasized that the cruise shipping industry was very important to the country's tourism sector and pointed out that the challenge now was to convert these cruise passengers into long staying visitors to the island. She was speaking at the signing of a US$17.75 million five-year Facility Fee Agreement between the Ministry of...

The Fletcher's Land Community in downtown Kingston has begun to benefit from an injection of approximately $10 million, which will be allocated over the next three years, under the Citizens Security and Justice Programme (CSJP). The programme which is spearheaded by the Ministry of National Security, is funded jointly by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Jamaica....

Cabinet has approved three contracts valued at more than $118 million for the construction of irrigation systems in Seven Rivers, St. James and Hounslow and Pedro Plains in St. Elizabeth. The contractors are Y.P. Seaton and Associates Limited, which will undertake the Seven Rivers project at a cost of $23.8 million, while the Hounslow and Pedro Plains systems will be...

The Red Cross and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) have been working in conjunction with the Social Development Commission (SDC) to bolster the readiness skills of persons living in disaster-prone communities. The three organizations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in November 2003, in which they agreed to work together to implement a natural disaster risk...

To enlighten members of the public about the services offered by the Taxpayer Audit and Assessment Department (TAAD), the agency staged a public forum in Montego Bay yesterday (February 5). Held under the theme: 'Stamp Duty, Transfer Tax and You', the focus was on Stamp Duty and Transfer Tax. Commissioner of the TAAD, Vinette Keene, explained that the main aim...

The Institute of Jamaica's Natural History Division has mounted a fascinating display of wetlands for the month of February under the theme, "From the mountains to the sea" at 12 East Street, downtown Kingston. Launched on World Wetlands Day, February 2, the exhibition aims to increase awareness of the importance of wetlands, which are not wastelands as some believe, but...