News

The Port Authority of Jamaica has welcomed Jamaica being named the World’s Leading Cruise Destination by the World Travel Awards (WTA) as a major achievement, particularly at a time when the global cruise industry is facing severe challenges due to the coronavirus (COVID-19)) pandemic.

The announcement was made during a virtual awards ceremony held on Thursday (November 26).

The National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ), on Tuesday (November 17), unveiled its newest certification product – the ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System (FSMS).

The Standard, which was launched virtually by Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw outlines the requirements that stakeholders along the food chain can incorporate in their operations to help in ensuring they have an effective system that provides safe foods for consumers.

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, says preliminary numbers for the six-month period ending September 30 show that overall revenues were $8 billion or three per cent higher than budgeted in the First Supplementary Estimates.

The figures, however, were 18.8 per cent lower than for the corresponding six months of last year.

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green, is encouraging farmers’ groups to take advantage of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s (JSIF) Rural Economic Development Initiative, Phase II (REDI II).

The US$42 million programme will run over the next five years with the aim to improve both the agricultural and tourism sectors by enhancing access to markets and building climate-resilient approaches for targeted beneficiaries.