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jamaica-country

Government clamping down on people using the Internet to molest children

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica government says it will soon table legislation to protect children from people who use the Internet to molest them. “We are going to put in some laws, because there are older people who prey on children online. We are going to make it a criminal offence, and we are going to put you in prison if you trouble the young (child), who should be in school,” said Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell.

Government to make changes to smoking ban

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Health Minister Dr. Fenton Ferguson is expected to outline changes to the no-smoking regulations when Parliament meets on Tuesday following an executive council meeting of the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) where government senator KD Knight was booed for his position on the smoking ban.
PNP general secretary, Peter Bunting, told reporters at the end of the National Executive Council meeting that Dr. Ferguson had delivered a comprehensive report on the issue.

Reparations for slavery? Wishing and hoping…

KINGSTON, Jamaica - THE news that 14 countries making up CARICOM are about to launch a formal, concerted effort to lay out claims of reparations for slavery from Britain, France and the Netherlands immediately suggested to me that many of the leaders in our neck of the woods are either too taken up with pining for a lost love, or they simply want to invoke the thought processes of the academic theorists among them who are not solid pragmatists.

Finance Minister confident of economic growth

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica says it is confident the island will start to see economic growth as it implements the multi-million Economic Reform Programme (ERP) with assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips is urging citizens to support the ERP, which aims to reduce the country’s debt, and set a platform for growth.

Green light given to new credit legislation

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica government is to introduce legislation to facilitate increased access to credit, and enhance the business environment as part of its compliance with the deadline set out in the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Information Minister Sandrea Falconer said the Security Interest in Personal Property Act (2013) is designed to implement a legal framework to modernise and improve the availability of domestic credit to the private sector, while minimising the risk of loan repayment.

Media group condemns action of attorney

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) Thursday said it was concerned that an attorney representing two Olympic medalists had seized recordings of an interview conducted by local journalists.
“Except for threat to life or a court order they should, under no other circumstances, hand over notes or recordings to parties outside of their professional supervision” PAJ said in a statement.

Offer more incentives for renewable energy – CaPRI

KINGSTON, Jamaica - The regional think tank, Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI), is urging Caribbean governments to diversify the incentives being offered in the renewable energy market.
Presenting an update on its renewable-energy research that it expects will influence policies and inform potential investors on the way forward in the sector, CaPRI's renewable energy programme manager, Dr Suzanne Shaw, said the research has revealed that the region should be aiming for greater diversification of incentives in the renewable energy market.

EDITORIAL - Trayvon Martin and race in America

KINGSTON, Jamaica - In a perverse sort of way, the not guilty verdict against George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin murder case in Florida was good for America. The evidence lies in the scores of demonstrations last Saturday across the United States (US) against the outcome of the case, but more important, in the debate it has spurred about race in America. Indeed, one of the paradoxes of America's election of Barack Obama, twice, as its president was the silence, or perhaps awkwardness, it imposed on the discourse on how race is lived in the US.

PM urges Jamaicans to remain focus on turning around economy

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, CMC – Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller is urging Jamaicans to remain focus as the country goes through what is perhaps its most ambitious and far-reaching economic transformation programme. She noted that in implementing that economic programme that involves a multi-million Stand By Agreement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), her administration “is aware that it’s now or never,” and it is “our last opportunity to get it right, to lay the foundation for our children, to ensure that we secure their future”.

Government may allow smoking in special areas for businesses

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - Health Minister, Dr. Fenton Ferguson, says he is willing to look at the possibility of allowing businesses, especially in the tourism industry, to have a special area outdoors to facilitate smokers. But Dr. Ferguson is making it clear that under the new measures that went into effect on July 15 banning smoking in public places, the government is clear about not allowing smoking rooms. “The evidence is clear that smoking kills. The evidence is clear that passive smoking kills.