MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica government is pumping an estimated US$20 million in the development of the information communication technology (ICT) sector, Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell has said. “Jamaica is on a growth trajectory once more. We are seeing expansion taking place, especially in Montego Bay, and we want to facilitate and encourage that.
Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Cabinet has approved the construction of a US$200 million medical facility in the western parish of St. James in an attempt to tap into the multi-billion dollar global health tourism industry.
Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson said construction of the facility represents the first formal health tourism project for Jamaica and will be spearheaded by members of the Diaspora, through an established partnership with the Government of Jamaica .
KINGSTON, Jamaica - RATING Agency Standard and Poor's says that last week's approval by the International Monetary Fund of a new agreement with Jamaica does not warrant a review of that country's credit worthiness at this time, as the details of the agreement were in line with expectations. At the same time, agency spokesman and analyst Joydep Mukherji has acknowledged that "meeting the targets will be challenging" for the country.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Former Prime Minister P J Patterson, speaking at the launch of Ambassador Rudy Insanally's new book Multilateral Diplomacy for Small States, bemoaned the fact that people from Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are no longer in top posts in international organisations.
Mr Patterson is quite correct on that score. But what is now important is to conduct an analysis of why this has happened.
In the past, Caricom citizens held top posts in international organisations, bringing the region much pride and the inevitable benefits.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Agro-parks must be good things. Roger Clarke, the agriculture minister, talks about them a lot. So, too, does Peter Phillips, the finance minister.
Indeed, in these hard economic times, in which he is facing the strictures of the International Monetary Fund, Dr Phillips is allowing the agriculture minister to spend more than J$1 billion on these parks.
Both men believe that the agro-parks, eight of which are supposed to be established by the Government, will be transformational.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - When Dr Peter Phillips announced the approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal as he wrapped up the annual Budget Debate last week, many in the House and across the nation were happy - the ecstasy had waned by then. Dr Phillips, who earned respect by the way he handled the negotiating process, must be congratulated for getting the deal done, and warding off some of the harsher conditions while lengthening some timelines. He did not linger at happiness.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Jamaican Government and the United States (US) are expected to sign an agreement by July aimed at endorsing a new hegemony tax act called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which requires local financial institutions to rat out US account holders.
Concurrently, a government working group is seeking to get a number of institutions exempted from FATCA compliance based on their low risk.
"Our intention is to protect our financial institutions by signing the agreement by the end of July this year, have financial institutions registered and assigned ...
KINGSTOWN—The shareholder governments of regional airline, LIAT, will meet in Barbados today, but a planned meeting in Bridgetown with T&T’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar will not materialise, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has said. He told a news conference his T&T counterpart was unable to attend the meeting because Parliament would be meeting on the same day.
Gonsalves, who serves as chairman of the shareholders, said the meeting with Persad-Bissessar would have dealt with ongoing concerns with the T&T-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL).
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Keeping a keen eye south of the border, the Obama administration is intensifying its engagement with Latin America, hosting leaders from a pair of presidents at the White House and sending Vice President Joe Biden to visit two others.
Peru's President Ollanta Humala and Chile's President Sebastian Pinera will travel to Washington in June to meet with President Barack Obama, the White House said Wednesday. And next week, Biden will make stops in Brazil and Colombia, plus the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.:
KINGSTON, Jamaica - TRINIDAD-BASED Caribbean Airlines (CAL) assumed responsibility for Air Jamaica flights as well as the right to use the Air Jamaica brand name in 2010.