Vaz to address JIS closures Thursday

KINGSTON — Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, has scheduled a meeting with stakeholders for Thursday, June 23, to ensure proper information flow on the closure of three Jamaica Information Service’s (JIS) regional offices.

Mr. Vaz was responding to questions at Wednesday’s June 22 Post Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, on whether the closures were an indication that job cuts have begun in the public sector.

The JIS will be closing three of its four regional offices as well as its overseas offices, on a phased basis. The closure of the offices in Portland, Ocho Rios and Mandeville, as well as the overseas offices in Miami, Washington, New York, Toronto and London will save the agency some $51 million, annually.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Donna-Marie Rowe, Wednesday (June 21) noted that the rationalisation exercise was in line with Government’s move to reduce the public sector wage bill, while operating more efficiently.

“At this time in the country, when we have to be concerned about how taxpayers’ hard earned money is spent, we at the JIS have to ensure that we operate at the highest levels of efficiency, including cost efficiency, hence our rationalisation to see those areas where we can effect savings without jeopardising our mandate to inform Jamaicans at home and abroad,” she stated.

By ALPHEA SAUNDERS, JIS Reporter