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As the Sectoral Debate for the 2008/2009 Parliamentary year enters its seventh week, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Local Government, Robert Montague will make his presentation, at tomorrow's sitting (Tuesday June 24). Opposition spokesman on Information and Member of Parliament for South East St. Ann, Ms. Lisa Hanna, will also make her...

Prime Minister Bruce Golding says he is not satisfied with the returns that government is getting on its annual expenditure of $57-billion on education. Of that amount he said some $50-billion represents grants that go directly to the schools. However he noted that while there is need to spend more, he is not satisfied that value was being received for...

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Reginald Budhan, has said that greater collaboration between the Government and the private sector is essential in ensuring food safety. "For the successful accomplishment of optimum food safety standards, teamwork and collaboration with private sector organizations (food and food-related industries) as well as other related government support agencies, is...

The Government is now working on a pilot project to demonstrate the potential of cassava as a local substitute for imported starches such as rice and flour. The project will be undertaken by two government agencies, over seven years. Investment Officer for the Agricultural Support Services Project (ASSP) in the Agriculture Ministry and Co-ordinator for this initiative, Dean Passard, explains...

An Act to amend the Mortgage Insurance Act was passed in the Upper House yesterday (June 20). The Act expands the definition of 'lender' to include financial institutions licensed under the Financial Institutions Act and reduces the portion of insurance fees to be paid into the mortgage insurance fund from four-fifths to three-fifths. The Bill further seeks to clarify the...

With the observance of National Food Safety Week (June 15-20) having ended yesterday the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is urging consumers to ensure that their food supplies are clean and safe. Speaking with JIS News, Communication Specialist at the CAC, Dorothy Campbell pointed out that "the whole idea of observing the week, was to bring about awareness and sensitization to...

More than 100 police officers, from 14 divisions, have been trained in Community-Based Policing (CBP) to be deployed to various communities islandwide. Training of additional officers is expected to be completed island by next month. CBP, which has been implemented in several communities, is a law enforcement philosophy and organizational strategy based on partnership between citizens and police to address...

Thirty residents of Spanish Town and Portmore received gardening kits at the official launch of the urban backyard garden programme held yesterday(June 21) at the Portmore Lions' Civic Centre, Portmore, St. Catherine. The initiative, which was announced by Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton in his budget presentation, aims to assist householders to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs in containers...

Prime Minister Bruce Golding along with several Government Ministers, Members of Parliament, top government executives, mayors and community leaders , today toured St Mary making stops at the Boscobel Aerodrome, the North Coast Highway and a private medical facility at Pampano Bay. He also took the time out to visit Mount Industry, in St Catherine, for a brief presentation to...

The Honourable Olivia "Babsy" Grange, Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, MICYS) is calling on the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) to ensure that the memories of journalists such as Norman Cuff are carefully preserved and that their record of performance is held up for examination and emulation by the succeeding generations of journalists. Minister Grange described the late...

Minister of Water and Housing, Dr. Horace Chang, has hailed the donation of motor vehicle and equipment to the National Water Commission (NWC) by the Japanese Government, stating that the gift will improve the entity's ability to monitor and control the supply system. The donation, which includes two four-wheel drive Suzuki Jimny motor vehicles, two power quality analyzers, valve locaters,...

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has expressed concern about the mounting electricity bills now facing Jamaicans and has said that it is in the company's interest to guide consumers in their conservation methods. Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank at the agency's headquarters, Head of Corporate Communication at JPS, Winsome Callum, noted that Jamaicans are having a hard...