Jamaica
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High time indeed to review marijuana policies
KINGSTON, Jamaica – On September 17, the Bureau of the Heads of Government of the 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) discussed the decriminalisation of marijuana and its production for medicinal purposes. The discussion was prompted by the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves who, prior to the meeting, is reported to have said “it is high…
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Legalising marijuana would be wrong
KINGSTON, Jamaica – An edited portion of Government MP Dr Dayton Campbell's contribution to the debate in Parliament on the motion to legalise marijuana. A third of Jamaicans have used ganja in any form and 30 per cent of Jamaicans have smoked marijuana with males reporting this three times more frequently than females. Fewer than a half of reported users…
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A campaign worth waging
Kingston, Jamaica – The charismatic and visionary St Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves is working hard to put the issue of reparations for slavery on the map. Last week's first ever Regional Reparation Conference is an important initial step. Nobody pretends that the campaign to obtain reparations for the Caribbean will be easy. Europe is in the middle of a…
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No respect for charity-seeking countries
KIGNSTON, Jamaica – THE bureau of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), at its recent meeting, decried disparaging comments by foreign financial and economic commentators. Why is CARICOM not getting respect for its economic policy? Nobody is obliged to assist anyone else, but the willingness to help is usually stimulated by sympathy with someone who cannot help himself because of circumstances beyond…
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New ‘action’ mood in CARICOM?
KINGSTON, Jamaica – EVEN as Heads of Government of our Caribbean Community (CARICOM) appear to be moving away from a “pause mode” imposed three years ago in favour of a proactive approach on social and economic developments, they would, hopefully, avoid wasting scarce human resources and time in pursuit of new initiatives. My unsolicited suggestion is being humbly offered in…
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EDITORIAL – Washington makes way for China
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner – AS THE Obama administration might have noticed, their man, Joe Biden, the vice-president, was not the star attraction in Port-of-Spain in late May when he visited for talks with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders. That was reserved, a few days later, for Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader. Mr Xi played to his billing. He announced US$3 billion…
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Jamaica lobby at Warsaw climate talks critical – Mahlung
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner – JAMAICA MUST this year push for not only “adequate and predictable” financing, but also for further work on the international mechanism on loss and damage, to protect it and other vulnerable countries from slow-onset events such as ocean acidification. So said Clifford Mahlung, one of the island's seasoned climate negotiators and the Latin America and Caribbean…
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Micro-business sector best hope for immediate job growth – Kellier
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner – Labour Minister Derrick Kellier, on Wednesday, said that the Government was committed to providing the necessary funding support for the small- and micro-business sector. Kellier, who announced an increase in the amount of funds provided from the National Investment Fund (NIF), under its small- and medium-enterprise credit facility, said mega-investment projects are unlikely to reduce the…
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Private sector doubtful of IMF programme’s success
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner – Sections of the private sector remain sceptical about the chances of success of Jamaica's 48-month extended fund facility (EFF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), despite confirmation that policy implementation was strong in the first quarter of the programme. The Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC), in a communiqué issued following a meeting on Wednesday, said that…
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JAMAICA-AGRICULTURE-Roads in sugar dependent communities to be rehabilitated
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Eight contracts totaling just over J$404 million (One Jamaica dollar = US$0.01 cents) have been signed for the rehabilitation of more than 44 kilometres of cane roads in seven sugar-dependent communities across the island. The road works, which will be undertaken in the central parishes of St. Catherine and Clarendon, the western parish of Westmoreland, the…
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