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A non-reimbursable, technical co-operation agreement between the Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), valued at US$440,000, was signed today (November 26), at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, in Kingston. The agreement, entitled a 'Strategy for the Divestiture of Air Jamaica', was signed by Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Senator...

Jamaica's Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has announced the appointment of John Lynch as Director of Tourism at the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), effective December 1, 2008. According to the Tourism Minister, the current environment dictates that quick and decisive action be taken to fill the post of Director of Tourism which became vacant following Basil Smith's decision to not...

Twelve contracts for the repair of roads damaged by Tropical Storm Gustav, and for the rehabilitation of gullies, in sections of the island, were signed today (November 25), by the Minister of Transport and Works, Michael Henry, at the Ministry, in Kingston. In the Corporate Area, work will be undertaken from Olympic Way to Waltham Park Road, at a cost...

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton and Country Representative of the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA), Cynthia Currie, have signed a Letter of Intent for a project, to enhance the country's agricultural production. The signing for the project - Improving Jamaica's Agricultural Productivity - took place today (November 25), at the Canadian High Commission, in Kingston. The project...

The Net International Reserves (NIR), of just over US$1.70 billion, is being augmented and should return to an estimated US$1.78 billion by the end of November, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, has said. During a teleconference with local and international investors, today (November 25), the Minister explained that a raft of monetary and fiscal interventions are...

The Jamaica Tourist Board, has taken over as title sponsor of the annual Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, which will take place from January 22 to 24. The Festival, Jamaica's premiere music event, will once again feature three nights of A-list performances, and this year will also place more emphasis on the destination with special resort and attractions packages, created...

The Early Childhood Resource Centre, of the Ministry of Education, recently saw 11 persons in Manchester, graduating from a one-year training programme, on parenting. The programme, which started in November of 2007, saw 35 persons enrolled, but reduced to 11 for various reasons. Parents were exposed to workshops to improve their academic levels, seminars on the role of parents, and...

The Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), staged its first annual open day in Jamaica, at the Sam Motta Demonstration and Training Centre (SMDTC) in Knockpatrick, Manchester recently. The Centre, which was named after the late, renowned agriculturalist and research scientist in agriculture, Sam Motta, began operations in February 2000 on 20 hectares of mostly mined out land at...

Community Relations Officer at the Ministry of Education, Charmaine Gooden-Monteith, has suggested that persons should educate themselves about parenting, before having children. Addressing a recent graduation ceremony for parents, at the Manchester Early Childhood Centre, Church Teachers' College, Mandeville, Mrs. Gooden-Monteith said parents should impart values that were helpful in the past, so that some of the decadence in the...

Remittances to Jamaica have remained steady, according to Jamaica National's Sales and Marketing Manager for North America, Charles Spence. Speaking at a meeting of the Jamaica National Spotlight Series, in Fort Lauderdale, on November 21, Mr. Spence said that the company has not yet experienced any downward trend in the flow of remittances to the island, since the United States...

The first in a series of conversations with key Diaspora communities in the United States of America (USA), was launched at the Consulate General of Jamaica, in New York, on November 17. Aimed at promoting critical thinking concerning the further development of the Jamaican Diaspora Movement, the event featured speakers from the Irish American community. The conversation, themed: 'From Immigrant...

Children's Advocate, Mary Clarke, has said that her office will be taking a zero tolerance approach to children hustling on the streets during the yuletide season. "I will not hesitate to deal with every incident. Christmas is coming and at Christmas, we tend to see a lot of children on the streets hustling. We have to get them off the...