A key technical support whereby auditors general have sat on the Integrity Commission for more than five decades might soon be brought to a halt as, yesterday, government lawmakers made the decision to remove the current auditor general, Pamela...
The Houses of Parliament and the Spectrum Management Authority (SMA) are currently under intense scrutiny as the Auditor General’s Department conducts two special audits of the legislative branch of government and the public body which is an agency...
A Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining internal audit report has highlighted allegations that fertiliser donated by the Kingdom of Morocco for Jamaican farmers was being sold at a private farm store in St Catherine in August 2023. An...
Despite establishing standard procedures to distribute agricultural inputs, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) has been unable to verify that tens of millions of dollars’ worth of fertiliser, allocated to members of parliament (MPs...
Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte yesterday suggested that Opposition Leader Mark Golding has backtracked on his original pronouncement of moving forward with the constitutional reform process with the things both...
Eyebrows were raised among staff at Jamaica’s Parliament after an internal memo warned that employees showing up to work “with visible marks on their skin, colloquially referred to as ‘hickeys’, would face immediate disciplinary action. The notice...
Declaring that “this is the year of decision”, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness made an impassioned appeal to the Jamaican electorate yesterday to join his administration “in writing the next chapter” as a general election looms in the months ahead...
A proposal to pass comprehensive legislation to eliminate abusive contractual arrangements which deny workers their basic employment rights has resonated with President of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) St Patrice Ennis. In his...
Michael Leckie, former president of the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ), says the proposal by the parliamentary Opposition to exempt new micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from corporate income tax for an initial period...
The Government is moving to roll out what it describes as “the most ambitious programme” to allow affordable access to prepaid electricity, particularly for those stealing light and power from the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) grid. Targeting 20,...
Fiscal Commissioner Courtney Williams is suggesting that the Government reintroduce what he describes as a “fiscal rule” on wages and salaries in order to “hold wages and salaries expenditure in check”. At the same time, the Independent Fiscal...
The 2024 calendar year served up two dramatic firsts in the country’s Parliament, while on the legislative front, a bill to replace King Charles with a ceremonial Jamaican president as head of state was tabled in December. Onlookers were left...
Government senator and trade unionist Kavan Gayle has called for a national workplace wellness policy to promote and enable healthier lifestyles that would have the effect of shoring up productivity at the workplace. At the same time, the...
“My heart is full,” said outgoing Finance and the Public Service Minister Dr Nigel Clarke after soaking up a plethora of tributes on Tuesday from lawmakers, who praised him for his sterling contribution to the legislature and the country....
In his final presentation in Gordon House on Tuesday, outgoing Finance and the Public Service Minister Dr Nigel Clarke warned that there was no room for policy error as the country continues on a path of economic success. “As much success that we...
With the agricultural sector suffering an estimated $14-billion loss annually, due to praedial larceny, the Government is taking steps to recruit 300 wardens to tackle the scourge. The first recruitment drive for 100 wardens took place on Tuesday...
In the last six years, since the establishment of Jamaica’s single anti-corruption body, the audited financial statements of the Integrity Commission (IC) have been submitted and tabled in Parliament as part of its annual report. In at least four...
Warning that certain comments from parliamentarians could present a security risk for members of the Integrity Commission (IC), chairman of the anti-corruption body, Justice (Ret’d) Seymour Panton, said there was no evidence that the state entity...
Opposition Senator Lambert Brown has argued that the Government does not have the courage to take legislation to Parliament to remove Section 14(5) of the Corruption Prevention Act, which sets out the offence of illicit enrichment. Instead, he...
The Jamaican economy is expected to contract by 0.2 per cent for the current fiscal year, owing in part to low tourism growth arising from a travel advisory from the United States in the first quarter of the 2024 calendar year as well as the impact...
Less than a year before the next general election is constitutionally due, parliamentarians will attempt to account for their stewardship when the State of the Constituency Debate begins in Gordon House today. The annual debate provides a national...
Government Senator Kavan Gayle is suggesting an increase in the contribution working Jamaicans make to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) or an extension of the age of retirement to ensure the sustainability of the scheme. At the same time,...
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck wants the Integrity Commission (IC) to be directed to certify the statutory declarations of Prime Minister Andrew Holness. His comments follow last week’s tabling of a special IC report after a monthslong illicit...
When asked on August 17 whether any officials in his administration or government lawmakers were being investigated for illicit enrichment, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that after extensive checks, he found no evidence of such inquiries. This...
Chief executive officer (CEO) of the St James Municipal Corporation (SJMC) Naudia Crosskill on Wednesday appealled to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to provide the necessary resources to assist the municipalities in getting their...
