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Health and Environment Minister, Rudyard Spencer, said that the Government had to abolish public user fees for public health facilities, as a significant number of persons were unable to afford these fees, which proved an impediment to them accessing the services provided. User fees were abolished in all public health institutions, save for the University Hospital of the West Indies...

Jamaica National Overseas (JNO) recently staged an exposition in Washington, DC, to showcase its range of services to the Jamaican Diaspora, which includes money transfer services. Close to 100 Jamaicans residing in Baltimore, Virginia, Maryland and the Washington metropolitan area attended the event, which was dubbed 'JNO Spotlight'. Ambassador to the United States, Anthony Johnson, in bringing greetings at the...

Internationally acclaimed soprano Dawn Marie will performin a recital themed: 'Christmas Music from Around the World' on December 19 at the Prospect Presbyterian Church in New Jersey. The Jamaican-born singer, who now lives in Atlanta, will thrill the audience with traditional Christmas carols, as well as songs from her eclectic repertoire of opera, spirituals, and classical arrangements of Jamaican folk...

State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Michael Stern, has lauded the Food Storage and Prevention of Infestation Division (FSPID) for its role in ensuring the safety and wholesomeness of the nation's food supply. "I commend you for the important contribution ...(and for) all the years of helping to reduce the risks associated with the storage and...

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has emphasised that the Government will continue to provide the necessary support for the banana industry, to enable it to remain a major contributor to the national economy. Giving the main address at the grant contract signing ceremony of the European Union (EU) Rural Diversification Programme, for the banana industry, at in Port Maria,...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Michael Stern has commended the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), for its role in creating promotional opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Speaking at the launch of the JBDC's Christmas fair, Kumba Mi Yabba, on December 3, the State Minister lauded the Corporation for "creatively embracing the...

The women of Mango Valley in St. Mary and their families, along with displaced banana workers are to benefit from a $26 million grant, part of a total package of $196 million, under a European Union (EU) Banana Support Agreement between the Government of Jamaica and the EU. The agreement was signed at the Port Maria Civic Centre yesterday (December...

Massive sea defence work is currently underway along the coastline at Rozelle, in St.Thomas, which was severely damaged by storm surges last year, during the hurricane season. The work commenced some six weeks ago, and is being carried out as part of an agreement between the Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), valued at some US$10 million. Communication Consultant...

Superintendent of Police, Dathan Henry, who is charge of Clarendon, has appealed to Jamaicans to work more closely with the Police, in an effort to safeguard themselves, and to assist in reducing crime. "We need citizens to come forward and tell what they know. We are appealing to the citizens...much more can be achieved with your help; you are the...

The first set of 23 heavy duty mechanics, who were selected in October 2008, by a team from the Coast Mountain Bus Company in Vancouver, Canada, under the Okanagan College (Operation 120) Programme, departed the island on December 5. The company, which has a fleet of 1,200 buses, forged a partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security earlier...

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, has emphasised that the Government has no intention of abandoning the national airline, Air Jamaica, after it is divested next year. Addressing members of the Caribbean diaspora, who gathered at an Air Jamaica customer appreciation dinner last night (December 5), at the Westin Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. Shaw pointed out...

A "Make a Film in 24 Hours" competition will be one of a number of special activities at the second annual Reggae Film Festival (RFF) scheduled for February 23 - 27, 2009 at Emancipation Park in Kingston. In an interview with JIS News, one of the chief organisers, Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports (MICYS) consultant, Barbara Blake Hannah,...