KINGSTON, Jamaica - Whatever your view, good or bad, of Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister (PM) who died on Monday, there is no gainsaying that she was a transformative figure whose influence transcended the United Kingdom (UK). Further, in our current circumstance, Baroness Thatcher, her politics, and the way she forced Britain to confront its economic demons have relevance for Jamaica.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - One of Jamaica's closest allies at the end of the Cold War in the 1980s was Great Britain under then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the Conservative Party in that country and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) shared a similar vision. Dubbed the 'Iron Lady', Thatcher was a close political ally of former prime minister of Jamaica, Edward Seaga, described as another leader of steely mettle. Both flaunted implacable demeanours as they steered their ships of state through the turbulent waters of a world fiercely divided by political ideology.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – A member of the British Royal family is due here on April 15 for a five-day visit, it has been officially announced. A government statement said that Prince Michael Of Kent, will attend a special luncheon hosted by Governor-General, Sir Patrick Allen on April 16 and also pay an official visit to the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre and the Mona Geo-Informatics Institute, at the University of the West Indies. The following day he will call on Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Opposition Leader, Andrew Holness.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Private-sector leaders say reports yesterday that Jamaica could have a new deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by month end will have some immediate positive impact, but warned that it cannot be business as usual. With the continued devaluation of the Jamaican dollar, the heads of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), the Jamaica Manufacturers' Association (JMA), and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) all agreed that stability in the foreign-exchange markets would be one of the immediate impacts of the pending IMF agreement.
KINGSTON, Jamaica- The Ministry of Finance and Planning has subdued its glee in reacting to the likelihood of an inked deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by month end, which could result in a cumulative drawdown of around US$2 billion from the Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the World Bank over the next four years. "We are looking very good. Technically, there is an agreement, but in reality, we don't have it as yet," stressed a senior official from the ministry.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Lawyers for a Jamaican national who claimed that their client had been discriminated against because of her nationality when she travelled to Barbados on March 14, 2011 called for substantial compensation as the matter resumed at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Monday. Attorney Michelle Brown told the six-member CCJ panel of judges that the regional court, should also lay down firm guidelines pertaining to the treatment of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals at airports throughout the 15-member regional grouping.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - As much as we are inclined to commend the Government for the Budget it tabled in Parliament last week, we will reserve comment until the finance minister, Peter Phillips, presents the rest of his funding programme, including the allocations for the multilateral financial institutions (MFIs).
For, as they say, the devil's in the detail. Further, as is evidenced by its failure so far to tie up arrangements with the MFIs, this Government does not inspire confidence in its ability to accomplish anything within its promised time frames.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - JAMAICA has signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) with Kuwait that will encourage and guide future investments into the Caribbean country.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - IT'S now more than six weeks since it became public knowledge for the governments and people of our Caribbean Community that the secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, had conveyed the very shocking decision to the president of Haiti, Michel Martelly, of the world body's rejection of compensation claims affecting some 5,000 Haitian cholera victims.
KINGSTON, Jamaica- IN 1978 Mr Lee Iacocca joined Chrysler as president and chief operating officer for the princely salary of US$1 a year.
At the time, Mr Iacocca was by no means a poor man, having done well for himself at Ford Motor Company from which he was fired by Mr Henry Ford II. But Mr Iacocca, in an effort to get United Auto Workers members at Chrysler to accept cuts to their salaries and benefits, led by example with his own salary.