Tweet
NEWS IN BRIEF
FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION
Top News in the Print Media: The JIS, The Gleaner & The Observer
From the Overseas Department, Jamaica Information Service
Tuesday September 23, 2003
DAVIES WANTS MORE RESOURCES
The Gleaner: Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies, over the weekend addressed ‘The Arab Aid Forum’ at the IMF/World Bank Meeting in Dubai, and called for more resources for regional development.
In his presentation, he highlighted the challenges and measures being taken to address economic problems facing the region.
SPOT MARKET WEIGHTED AVERAGE RATE
CURRENCY PURCHASES SALES
__US$______59.2938___59.5599
_CAN$______42.7111___44.0499
__GB£______95.7070___97.3000
MOVE ON T&T
The Gleaner: Capital & Credit Merchant Bank (CCMB) is set to become the first Jamaican merchant bank to be listed on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange.
CCMB chairman, Ryland T. Campbell, announced yesterday that the bank has received approval from the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange to become officially listed on Wednesday October 1.
This follows its recent Initial Public Offering in Jamaica on May 26 this year, when Capital & Credit Merchant Bank became the first merchant bank to be listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
PM GROOMS LIKELY `SUCCESSORS’
The Gleaner: Prime Minister P. J. Patterson says he has a groomed pool of candidates to succeed him as leader of the People’s National Party (PNP).
Speaking to journalists yesterday during a post-65th Annual Conference press briefing at PNP headquarters, Old Hope Road, Kingston, the Prime Minister said that he did not believe it was his prerogative to appoint his successor.
But, he added, that there is a pool of individuals around him who are gaining the experiences necessary for leadership of the party and the country on a whole.
DEADLY DEPORTEES
The Gleaner: While the United States Embassy advances plans to study behaviour of deported Jamaicans, local police are complaining that their hands are tied in their efforts to deal with those who have been classified as “dangerous”.
An official at the Jamaican Embassy in Washington D. C. in the United States said a list with the names of a number of dangerous deportees was sent to the police in Jamaica, recommending that restriction orders be obtained so they could be closely monitored.
However, such orders have not been placed on the perpetrators who have been released into communities across the island.
JIS NEWS
Tuesday September 23, 2003
JA RECEIVES J$50 M GRANT
Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips and United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Sue Cobb, yesterday signed an agreement, providing the island with a grant of US$861,000 or over J$50 million, for co-operative counter narcotics and law enforcement efforts.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, which was held at the Ministry in New Kingston, Dr. Phillips described the co-operation between the two Governments as “absolutely invaluable”, and expressed his appreciation of efforts to enhance local law enforcement, including assistance in stemming the influx of illegal arms into Jamaica.
The Minister also noted that the US Government was providing support and co-operation with respect to the border control project, which saw greater controls being exercised over seaports and airports.
He acknowledged the US Government’s effort in providing support for personnel and training assistance for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
4,516 STUDENTS GOT SUMMER JOBS
A total of 4,516 students from secondary and tertiary institutions across the island were temporarily added to the workforce this summer, having being placed under the National Youth Service’s (NYS) Summer Employment programme.
NYS Director, Rev. Adinhair Jones, told JIS News that the young people were employed to government and private sector agencies for three weeks during July and August, where they performed various tasks including clerical work, data entry and filing, and participated in environmental projects, such as beach-clean in Pagee, St. Mary.
Rev. Jones informed that a sum of $36.1 million was spent to pay the students’ salaries of between $2,500 and $3,000 per week. The Summer Employment was introduced by Prime Minister P. J. Patterson in 2000 and is designed to assist students with back to school expenses, while introducing them to the world of work.
MORE EMPHASIS ON ECO-TOURISM
Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun N’dombet-Assamba, is encouraging local entrepreneurs to become involved in the establishment of “good eco-tourism” facilities throughout the island.
The Minister, who was speaking at the recent re-opening of the Villa Bella Hotel in Christiana, Manchester said, “it is no secret that eco-tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the world tourism market and this hotel, Villa Bella, represents the type of accommodation that is absolutely perfect for the South Coast.”
Minister Assamba noted that she was “very happy” with the diversity of offerings available for locals as well as visitors on the South Coast. “With your beautiful gardens and trails and well developed community programmes, this region is a natural jumping board for adventure and heritage tourism, we all know that part of Jamaica’s charm in the international market has been its tremendous diversity,” she said.
35,000 APPLY FOR NHF BENEFITS
Health Minister, John Junor, has said that over 35,000 Jamaicans have applied for benefits under the National Health Fund (NHF), with membership cards for 23,000 of them already processed and sent to registration centres across the island for distribution.
The Minister, who was speaking at a ceremony to hand over the refurbished Annotto Bay Hospital Pharmacy to the North East Regional Health Authority on September 18, assured that the other cards would be delivered soon, as applications were being processed every day.
The pharmacy, refurbished at a cost of $900,00 is one of nine public sector facilities that are earmarked for upgrading in Phase I of the NHF Pharmacy upgrading programme. It is equipped with computers, digital scales, narcotic storage cabinets, refrigerators, hotplates, measuring cylinders and mechanical balances.
FTC ASSISTING CARICOM
The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) is lending its expertise to other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries as they work to develop their own competition laws, in time for the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in 2005.
Already, Barbados has been assisted to set up its own competition agency in January this year and now joins Jamaica as the only Caribbean territories to have a competition act and a competition agency.
Barbara Lee, Executive Director of the FTC, told JIS News that a CARICOM Competition Act was now being drafted and would be modeled after Jamaica’s Fair Competition Act (FCA). It will seek to address “uncompetitive conduct within the region and regulate cross border issues between countries in CARICOM”, she explains.
GOV’T MOVES TO REDUCE RED TAPE
Importers and exporters of food, plants, animals and related products, may soon find it easier to conduct business, as Government is working on a project to streamline and simplify the issuance of permits and the inspection process for trade in these products.
Shirley Ann Eaton, Project Manager for the Regulations, Legislation and Process Improvement Project (Regs & Legs) in the office of the Minister of Development, tells JIS News, that a process flow analysis has been commissioned, to determine all the steps that these importers and exporters have to go through to conduct trade. The aim, she says, is to cut down red tape and facilitate a friendlier business climate.
Contact: Celia Lindsay
For further information about any of these news items,contact the Overseas Department at
[email protected]
. The Jamaica Information Service web page address is
www.jis.gov.jm
.Telephone: (876) 926-3740-8 / 926-3590-8, Fax: (876) 926-6715
FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION
Top News in the Print Media: The JIS, The Gleaner & The Observer
From the Overseas Department, Jamaica Information Service
Tuesday September 23, 2003
DAVIES WANTS MORE RESOURCES
The Gleaner: Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies, over the weekend addressed ‘The Arab Aid Forum’ at the IMF/World Bank Meeting in Dubai, and called for more resources for regional development.
In his presentation, he highlighted the challenges and measures being taken to address economic problems facing the region.
SPOT MARKET WEIGHTED AVERAGE RATE
CURRENCY PURCHASES SALES
__US$______59.2938___59.5599
_CAN$______42.7111___44.0499
__GB£______95.7070___97.3000
MOVE ON T&T
The Gleaner: Capital & Credit Merchant Bank (CCMB) is set to become the first Jamaican merchant bank to be listed on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange.
CCMB chairman, Ryland T. Campbell, announced yesterday that the bank has received approval from the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange to become officially listed on Wednesday October 1.
This follows its recent Initial Public Offering in Jamaica on May 26 this year, when Capital & Credit Merchant Bank became the first merchant bank to be listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
PM GROOMS LIKELY `SUCCESSORS’
The Gleaner: Prime Minister P. J. Patterson says he has a groomed pool of candidates to succeed him as leader of the People’s National Party (PNP).
Speaking to journalists yesterday during a post-65th Annual Conference press briefing at PNP headquarters, Old Hope Road, Kingston, the Prime Minister said that he did not believe it was his prerogative to appoint his successor.
But, he added, that there is a pool of individuals around him who are gaining the experiences necessary for leadership of the party and the country on a whole.
DEADLY DEPORTEES
The Gleaner: While the United States Embassy advances plans to study behaviour of deported Jamaicans, local police are complaining that their hands are tied in their efforts to deal with those who have been classified as “dangerous”.
An official at the Jamaican Embassy in Washington D. C. in the United States said a list with the names of a number of dangerous deportees was sent to the police in Jamaica, recommending that restriction orders be obtained so they could be closely monitored.
However, such orders have not been placed on the perpetrators who have been released into communities across the island.
JIS NEWS
Tuesday September 23, 2003
JA RECEIVES J$50 M GRANT
Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips and United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Sue Cobb, yesterday signed an agreement, providing the island with a grant of US$861,000 or over J$50 million, for co-operative counter narcotics and law enforcement efforts.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, which was held at the Ministry in New Kingston, Dr. Phillips described the co-operation between the two Governments as “absolutely invaluable”, and expressed his appreciation of efforts to enhance local law enforcement, including assistance in stemming the influx of illegal arms into Jamaica.
The Minister also noted that the US Government was providing support and co-operation with respect to the border control project, which saw greater controls being exercised over seaports and airports.
He acknowledged the US Government’s effort in providing support for personnel and training assistance for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
4,516 STUDENTS GOT SUMMER JOBS
A total of 4,516 students from secondary and tertiary institutions across the island were temporarily added to the workforce this summer, having being placed under the National Youth Service’s (NYS) Summer Employment programme.
NYS Director, Rev. Adinhair Jones, told JIS News that the young people were employed to government and private sector agencies for three weeks during July and August, where they performed various tasks including clerical work, data entry and filing, and participated in environmental projects, such as beach-clean in Pagee, St. Mary.
Rev. Jones informed that a sum of $36.1 million was spent to pay the students’ salaries of between $2,500 and $3,000 per week. The Summer Employment was introduced by Prime Minister P. J. Patterson in 2000 and is designed to assist students with back to school expenses, while introducing them to the world of work.
MORE EMPHASIS ON ECO-TOURISM
Minister of Industry and Tourism, Aloun N’dombet-Assamba, is encouraging local entrepreneurs to become involved in the establishment of “good eco-tourism” facilities throughout the island.
The Minister, who was speaking at the recent re-opening of the Villa Bella Hotel in Christiana, Manchester said, “it is no secret that eco-tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the world tourism market and this hotel, Villa Bella, represents the type of accommodation that is absolutely perfect for the South Coast.”
Minister Assamba noted that she was “very happy” with the diversity of offerings available for locals as well as visitors on the South Coast. “With your beautiful gardens and trails and well developed community programmes, this region is a natural jumping board for adventure and heritage tourism, we all know that part of Jamaica’s charm in the international market has been its tremendous diversity,” she said.
35,000 APPLY FOR NHF BENEFITS
Health Minister, John Junor, has said that over 35,000 Jamaicans have applied for benefits under the National Health Fund (NHF), with membership cards for 23,000 of them already processed and sent to registration centres across the island for distribution.
The Minister, who was speaking at a ceremony to hand over the refurbished Annotto Bay Hospital Pharmacy to the North East Regional Health Authority on September 18, assured that the other cards would be delivered soon, as applications were being processed every day.
The pharmacy, refurbished at a cost of $900,00 is one of nine public sector facilities that are earmarked for upgrading in Phase I of the NHF Pharmacy upgrading programme. It is equipped with computers, digital scales, narcotic storage cabinets, refrigerators, hotplates, measuring cylinders and mechanical balances.
FTC ASSISTING CARICOM
The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) is lending its expertise to other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries as they work to develop their own competition laws, in time for the implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in 2005.
Already, Barbados has been assisted to set up its own competition agency in January this year and now joins Jamaica as the only Caribbean territories to have a competition act and a competition agency.
Barbara Lee, Executive Director of the FTC, told JIS News that a CARICOM Competition Act was now being drafted and would be modeled after Jamaica’s Fair Competition Act (FCA). It will seek to address “uncompetitive conduct within the region and regulate cross border issues between countries in CARICOM”, she explains.
GOV’T MOVES TO REDUCE RED TAPE
Importers and exporters of food, plants, animals and related products, may soon find it easier to conduct business, as Government is working on a project to streamline and simplify the issuance of permits and the inspection process for trade in these products.
Shirley Ann Eaton, Project Manager for the Regulations, Legislation and Process Improvement Project (Regs & Legs) in the office of the Minister of Development, tells JIS News, that a process flow analysis has been commissioned, to determine all the steps that these importers and exporters have to go through to conduct trade. The aim, she says, is to cut down red tape and facilitate a friendlier business climate.
Contact: Celia Lindsay
For further information about any of these news items,contact the Overseas Department at
[email protected]
. The Jamaica Information Service web page address is
www.jis.gov.jm
.Telephone: (876) 926-3740-8 / 926-3590-8, Fax: (876) 926-6715