Building a Better Jamaica

Kingston (JIS):
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has indicated that the 2010/11 Budget, which will be tabled on Thursday (March 25), will be $100 billion below the 2009/2010 estimates.

"Thursday is going to show quite a bit of compression," Mr. Shaw said, in reference to the fact that the State Opening of the new session of Parliament is scheduled for Thursday (March 25).

KINGSTON (JIS):
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Cabinet has approved the establishment of a legal framework for the Office of Custos Rotulorum, including increasing their annual stipend to $300,000.

In making the announcement, Minister with responsibility for Information, the Hon Daryl Vaz, pointed out that the nation's 14 Custodes are integral to ceremonial civic activities, and they also serve as Chairmen of Parish Disaster Committees, activities which have neither legislative basis nor authority.

KINGSTON (JIS):
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon Pearnel Charles, is to meet with representatives the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) at his Ministry on Friday, April 9, to present a proposal to them in an effort to settle their dispute over retroactive pay.

This was stated in a release issued by the Ministry on Thursday (March 18), in which the Minister also addressed issues arising from statements he is alleged to have made during a meeting with the nurses on Friday, and in the media since.

KINGSTON (JIS):
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Parliament yesterday (March 17) approved the second Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure for the financial year ending March 31, which were tabled in the House on Tuesday (March 16) by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon Audley Shaw.

The Supplementary Estimates were referred to the standing Finance Committee of the whole House of Representatives (all 60 MPs) for deliberation and report Wednesday afternoon, prior to the sitting at which it was approved.

Thursday, March 18, 2010
Jamaica Information Service

Courtesy of Jamaica Information Service

The Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Honourable Olivia Grange, MP has told representatives of the National Association of Domino Bodies (NADB) that she is prepared to clear the way for dominoes to be accorded official status of a national sport in Jamaica.

WASHINGTON DC (JIS):
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Dr. Kenneth Baugh, has called on Jamaica's foreign missions to aggressively seek out new investment and trade opportunities for the country.

Addressing members of staff of the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday (March 17), Dr. Baugh said there is an urgent need to engage the Diaspora to identify overseas investment opportunities and to consider investing in the country themselves.

KINGSTON (JIS):
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has stated that taxes will not be raised in the 2010/2011 financial year, except for property tax, which the Gvernment will have to examine.

Mr. Shaw made this disclosure as he opened the debate on the second Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (March 17).

The Finance Minister stated that "no stone (will be) unturned" as the government tries to improve the compliance rate of paying taxes.

KINGSTON (JIS):
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Prime Minister, the Hon. Bruce Golding, has said that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) would now focus its efforts on reconstruction in Haiti, as the situation is gradually transitioning from emergency response to long term reconstruction.

He further noted that details of this and the functional areas in which CARICOM's efforts will be concentrated are still being worked out with Haiti's President, Mr. Rene Preval.

KINGSTON(JIS):
Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Terrorism Prevention (Reporting Entities) Regulations 2010, which sets out procedures that are to be followed by the relevant bodies in their business operations to ensure that they are not supporting terrorism financing, was approved in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 16).

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Jamaica Information Service

The Registration (Strata Titles) (Amendment) Regulations, which provides the administrative tools for Strata Corporations to administer their duties effectively, was approved in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (March 16).

Prime Minister Bruce Golding mentioned that Regulation 11(d) provided for information to be made available to the key players in the strata business, so that nobody would be taken unfair advantage of.